A mishap was prevented yesterday when the jet conveying President Goodluck Jonathan back to Nigeria developed a fault barely ten minutes after taking off from the international airport in Entebbe, Uganda. Pilots had to return the aircraft to Uganda to be fixed before it could undertake the journey again.
The President was returning from the African Union summit, which ended on Tuesday, and was expected to attend the weekly federal executive council meeting with his cabinet.
NEXT gathered that minutes after take off, the pilot and co-pilot of the presidential jet noticed they were getting strange signals as a result of a technical fault in the aircraft.
A source who was on the trip, said the same aircraft was repaired in Kampala and was later used to bring the president and his entourage to Nigeria. They arrived the country by noon yesterday.
The source explained that two of the three jets on the presidential air fleet used for the Uganda trip developed faults and had to be repaired in the East African country.
One of the jets had earlier conveyed the wife of the President, Patience, from Kampala. She was scheduled to be in Germany to visit Nigeria’s team at the ongoing Fifa Under-20 women’s world Cup ahead of their semi-final match against Colombia.
Yesterday’s incident occurred barely two weeks after NEXT reported on July 18 that Mr. Jonathan had ordered the probe of key aides to late President Umaru Yar’Adua including the commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Aminu Adamu, over allegations of misappropriation of the funds budgeted for the maintenance of presidential jets.
About three months ago, NEXT reported in its April 11 edition that “Presidency sources also say that the N234 million approved for the “completion of the presidential air fleet (PAF) quarters in the 2009 budget, is unaccounted for, some four months into 2010”.
The report also said, “the same goes for the maintenance of presidential aircraft, which had a budget increased by over 50 percent to N970 million in 2009”.
As at press time, it was not clear if the Presidency is holding anyone responsible for the faulty jets or will take more drastic action in the probe of how money appropriated for their maintenance was spent.
Sambo takes charge
In the President’s absence, the FEC meeting was presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo. At the meeting, the sum of N3 billion was approved for the development of 1500 hectares for the Tada Shonga irrigation project, in Edu local government area of Kwara State, the minister of information, Dora Akunyili, said.
The meeting, which started few minutes after 10am, deliberated on five memos and had all ministers in attendance.
Mrs. Akunyili told journalists at a briefing after the meeting that the minister of water resources presented a memo to council seeking approval for the award of contract for the development of 1500 hectares and associated infrastructure, being Phase 1 of Tada-Shonga irrigation project, located at Tada-Shonga in Kwara State.
Tada Shonga irrigation project has potential for the production of rice, sugarcane, and other vegetables in the flood plains of River Niger. The project is expected to be developed in two phases. The first phase involves development of the main infrastructure and 1500 hectares of gravity irrigation. The project will generate employment, increase the income of farmers, as well as boost food security in the country.
“There is N692,469,119.00 for the project in the 2010 appropriation,” she said.
The minister of commerce and industry also presented a memorandum to council seeking approval for 1st January, 2010 to be the effective date for the convergence of accounting standards in Nigeria with International Financial Standards (IFRS).
Accounting standards are benchmarks for the preparation of financial statements by private and public institutions. Individual nations used to set their accounting standards, until the widely reported financial scandals involving WorldCom and Enron in 2001.
According to the information minister “Having seen the enormous benefits for the adoption of the International Financial Report Standards for Nigeria, council approved 1st January 2012 as the effective date for conveyance of accounting standard in Nigeria with International Financial Report Standards.
Council also directed that the Nigerian Accounting Standard Board, NASB, under the supervision of the federal ministry of commerce and industry, should take further necessary actions to give effect to council’s approval.”
The minister of science and technology also presented a memo to council, which sought approval for the ratification of the status of the International Renewable Energy Agency(IRENA), which Nigeria, alongside 75 other countries signed on Monday, 26th January, 2009, during the Founding Conference of the organisation, held at the World Conference Center Bonn, Germany.
Council considered and approved the ratification of the statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Through a memo to council, the minister of water resources also sought for the approval of the revised Estimated Total Cost for the expansion and completion of Bagwai Wateri Dam Irrigation project located at Bagwai in Kano State.
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