Nigeria: Reps Meet NSA, Commander Over State of Presidential Air Fleet

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence on Monday met with the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Commander, Presidential Air Fleet, over the state of the aircraft in the fleet.

The meeting came after media reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were reportedly forced to take chartered flights to Saudi Arabia and Kenya for meetings respectively.

The meeting was held behind closed doors with the representative of the NSA, Major General M.M. Galadima and the Commander, Presidential Air Fleet, AVM Olayinka O.Olusola and other officials.

Briefing journalists after the meeting , Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Satomi Ahmed (APC, Borno) said the NSA and commandant had extensively explained the situation at hand and there was no cause for alarm.

He, however, said that they had a closed door meeting because of the sensitivity of the issue, adding that a technical committee would be set up to have a more indepth interaction with all the stakeholders and officials involved.

He said aviation was a highly regulated area and the matter was also a security issue which involved the leadership of the nation as such it must be handled with utmost diligence.

He said, " You know it is a very sensitive national security issue that has to do with our president.

"And looking at our role in foreign policy position of Nigeria, this is not something that we will come out into the public to discuss."

It could be recalled that the investigation was initiated after a motion moved last week by the chairman of the committee, Rep. Satomi Ahmed at the plenary.

The motion was however stepped down and the committee was directed to handle the matter as part of its mandate instead of debating the issue on the floor of the House.

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