Falana: No law empowers Buhari’s children to use presidential jet for private function

Senior lawyer, Femi Falana has slammed the presidency for defending Hanan Buhari’s use of a Presidential jet to attend a private function.

The president’s daughter attended a durbar in Bauchi State at the behest of Emir of Bauchi, Rilwanu Adamu on Thursday.

A First Class graduate of photography, Hanan’s visit was reportedly to take photographs of the traditional durbar, Bauchi architecture and other cultural sites in the state.

However, many Nigerians took to social media to express their displeasure after seeing photos of her alighting from a presidential jet and greeting officials of the Bauchi State Government that were at the Tafawa Balewa Airport to welcome her.

Responding, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said that members of the First Family and other persons authorised by the president could make use of the jets.

Shehu added that the use of the presidential jet by Buhari’s daughter was a “normal practice in existence for a long time”.

But in a Saturday statement he personally signed, Falana berated the presidency, saying that the act was neither backed by any extant law nor official policy.

“The so called ‘normal practice’ of using the aircraft in the presidential fleet by members of the first family to attend to private engagements is not backed by any extant law or official policy

“In view of the foregoing, we call on President Buhari to stop the members of his family from using any of the aircraft in the presidential fleet “with a view to cutting down on waste

“A country that is said to be the headquarters of the greatest number of poverty stricken people in the world cannot afford to waste billions of Naira on the use of presidential aircraft and hiring of commercial jets by state governors that are owing workers several months of unpaid salaries.

“In fact, there is no precedent whatsoever for such privatisation of the presidency of Nigeria,” Falana said.

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