One issue that has continued to top the agenda of public discourse in recent time is the Federal Executive Council's (FEC) approval of $154. 5m (about N23.07 billion) for the purchase of three aircraft-two Falcon 7X and one Gulfstream G550- in the phased replacement of aircraft in the presidential air fleet.

The approval comes as the nation's external reserves dropped to US$37.63 billion by June 23, 2010 representing a decrease of US$1.19 billion or 3.06 per cent when compared with the level of US$38.82 billion as at May 31, 2010.

The two Falcon 7X aircraft are to be purchased from Dassault Aviation of France, while the Gulfstream G550 will come from Messrs Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of the United States at a combined cost of $150 million.

The first Falcon 7X aircraft is expected to arrive in Nigeria by the end of December, while the second one is to be delivered in the second quarter of 2011. The Gulfstream G550 is also expected in the country by the second quarter of 2011.

The additional equipment will bring to 11 the number of aircraft in the presidential fleet, including a Boeing 737-800 bought in 2006 at a cost of N10 billion.

The presidential fleet services the entire apparatus of governance from the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary as well as certain levels of the security services and more.

The additional aircraft to the presidential fleet has raised so much dust, with lots of Nigerians arguing that the situation in the country does not call for profligacy, ostentation and misplaced priorities.

It is public knowledge that successive Nigerian presidents have bought at least one aircraft, thus making the Presidential aircraft a status symbol. Former President Obasanjo did not miss the opportunity to buy two expensive presidential aircraft to match his status.

From President Shehu Shagari, apart from Muhammadu Buhari, former military dictator Abacha, and of course, Ernest Shonekan, every president in the past bought at least an aircraft for the regime. Shagari bought one, Babangida, three and President Goodluck Jonathan wants to repeat Babangida's feat by buying three.

On July 20, 2010, for instance, British Prime Minister, David Cameron, travelled to Washington DC, United States, on a commercial flight. Cameron made a further three-and-a-half-hour journey to New York City, USA, by train on the following day.

On June 5, 2006, the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and members of his immediate family, travelled from Rome-Ciampino, Italy, to London-Stansted Airport aboard Ryan Air with tickets that cost £49 per head.

No Nigerian leader, past or present travels on commercial aircraft.

Former Ghanaian President, John Kufor, is reported to have sold the only official aircraft his country had, a $16 million Gulfstream, in May 2006 and used the proceeds to acquire four fighter jets and a flight simulator for the country's military.

President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad of Iran changed the presidential aircraft that he inherited into a cargo aircraft, in order to save public funds. He travels in commercial airlines in the economy class.

According to "The Fox News TV (USA), the Iranian President "doesn't even take his personal salary, with the argument that, all the wealth belongs to the nation and he is the safeguard over it. One of the things that impressed the staff at the Presidency is the bag that the President brings with him every day, which contains his breakfast; some sandwiches or bread with olive oil and cheese prepared by his wife and he eats and enjoys it with all happiness."

New Zealand

Two Boeing 757-200s are occasionally used to transport the Prime Minister, various government officials, as well as the head of state and members of the Royal Family, when on New Zealand business. As multi-role aircraft, they are more often used as transport aircraft for troops or freight. Generally, the Prime Minister and government officials use commercial or chartered flights (with Air New Zealand where available) to travel both domestically and internationally.

Russian Federation

Russia State Transport Company operates two Ilyushin Il-96-300PU aircraft for the President of Russia. At least one of the aircraft was refitted as a VIP transport in 2001 by a British company for 10 million pounds.

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Royal Flight operates a Boeing 747-300 and a Boeing 747-400 for use by the King of Saudi Arabia.

South Africa

The President of South Africa travels in a Boeing 737 (BBJ) operated by the South African Air Force's 21 Squadron

United Kingdom

Air transport for the British monarch, other members of Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other ministers of the British Government is provided by either No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF), chartered civilian aircraft or scheduled commercial flights, normally British Airways for senior members of the royal family and other commercial carriers for the Prime Minister and aides.

United States

The President typically uses one of two customized Boeing 747-200B jetliners. These aircraft carry the military designation VC-25A. The Vice President typically uses a customized C-32 designated as Air Force Two.

Egypt

The Egyptian government operates an Airbus A340-200 (Registered SU-GGG) as a VIP transport. The first presidential Airplane in Egypt was given as a gift from Saudi Arabia to Egyptian President, Anwar Sadat. Before that, the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, traveled using a rented aircraft from the National Egyptian Air Company, Egypt Air. In 1955, and during his trip to attend the first Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, President Nasser and his accompanying crew travelled on a rental aircraft from the Indian National Air company.

Vatican

Typically, the Pope flies on a chartered Alitalia fixed wing aircraft when travelling to or from more distant destinations. The tradition is for the Pope to fly to the country he is visiting on a chartered Alitalia jet and to return on a jet belonging to a flag carrier from the visited nation.

However, aviation experts have expressed concern about the durability of the aircraft in question. There are those who believe that the aircraft would make a tragic mockery of what should be in a presidential fleet, if Nigeria must maintain its pride of place, as the leader of the black race. According to them, the proposed models are what rich individuals in the western world usually buy for private keeps, adding that they do not last very long. They say the presidency should have ordered custom made real presidential jets comparable with Air Force 1.

"If purchasing three presidential jets means increasing the number of jets in the fleet, that's not good spending. It is important for Nigerians to know what happened to the other ones previously in use. To change the whole fleet will be wasteful," he added.

While the publicity secretary, Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) Yinka Odumakin described such spending as extreme form of profligacy, constitutional lawyer Prof. Itse Sagay spoke in favour and maintained that an expenditure of N21 billion is not a big sum, considering the safety of the President.

He contended that, the money is not up to one third of what the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega requested for the conduct of the 2011 elections.

"When we view it, the presidential jet is not for the president alone, I think it's a reasonable expenditure. Honestly, we have to think of the safety of the President. We all know what happened to him recently in Uganda, when his plane developed fault. He had to turn back," stated Prof. Sagay

The rationale behind the purchase of the three aircraft is being questioned, when all the aircraft in presidential fleet are believed to have clocked less than 3000 flying hours each. This shows that the equipment are grossly underutilised.

Before the council's decision, it was reported that about N23.4bn had been provided in the 2010 Appropriation Act for the first batch of the four aircraft. The total cost was put at N315 billion.

Government had explained that, the decision to drop some of the eight aircraft followed the discovery that, they were geriatric and increasingly becoming too expensive to maintain.

The then Minister of Finance, Dr. Mansur Muktar had disclosed after the FEC meeting that a "small amount of N100m was made to secure a slot because you have to order these aircraft in advance" adding that "last year, we could not make adequate budgetary provision but this small amount was paid so that, we would be able to have two aircraft delivered in 2010. The remaining two will be delivered in 2011 and 2012 as we continue to make budgetary allocation. We have to do this as part of a phased replacement of the aircraft in the presidential air fleet."

He added that the new aircraft would be for the use of principal officers of the government.

"They are to be operated as a fleet and will be deployed appropriately to serve other purposes, especially serving principal officers of the Federal Government. This includes the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives," he said.

LEADERSHIP SUNDAY also learnt that approval for additional aircraft was informed by the July incident when the new presidential Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) which President Jonathan and some members of his entourage were travelling from Kampala, Uganda, to Abuja developed a fault mid-air.

There are many who argue that the incident is not convincing enough to embark on aircraft buying spree thereby wasting public funds.

"A starting point for turning governance in Nigeria into a serious business," contended Reuben Abati, chairman, Guardian Newspaper editorial board, "is to reduce the cost of maintaining the taste and lifestyles of public officials and their relatives".