Recession: Sell off presidential jets, CSOs tell Buhari

A coalition of civil society organisations, under the aegis of Say No Campaign Nigeria, on Friday expressed concern over the ongoing economic recession in the country with a  call on President Muhammadu Buhari to sell off his fleet of presidential jets.

The demand is coming barely one week after the report by Saturday PUNCH on the amount spent by the Presidency to maintain the presidential fleet.

The organisation also called on the Federal Government to immediately constitute an independent panel of inquiry to undertake a comprehensive review and audit of constituency projects between 2004 and 2016.

Speaking with journalists ,Chairman of the coalition, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, said that given the economic hardship in the country, there was need for the President to make some urgent adjustments.

He said, “We are greatly concerned about the unprecedented level of economic hardship bedevilling the nation which has resulted in hunger, deprivation, unemployment, rising cost of essential commodities, unmitigated corruption in public and private institutions, worsening security situation, flagrant abuse of democratic processes and the accompanying failure or refusal by government to effectively address these issues.

“The situation in Nigeria is grim and therefore requires urgent response. While we hold that Buhari’s administration deserves commendation for its social intervention initiative aimed at reducing unemployment, we maintain that a lot more needs to be done, and urgently too to avert the looming economic disaster.

“We demand practical solutions to ameliorating the economic hardship including sale of the presidential jets, which the President promised to do and 50 per cent slash in salaries of public officers. The government should make essential commodities available to vulnerable Nigerians at reduced prices and probe pet projects of First Ladies, which act as conduit.”