Lawmakers To Take Delivery Of N130m Worth Prado SUVs

The House of Representatives has confirmed that the National Assembly is in the process of procuring and distributing utility Prado jeeps, worth N130 million to lawmakers. Rep. Rotimi Akin, the Spokesperson of the House of Reps said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday night, coming at a time Nigerians are grappling with economic hardship. Akin said the initiative aligned with existing procurement laws, adding that it was a customary practice in previous assemblies. He said the distribution concerned vehicles tied to lawmakers’ oversight functions in the discharge of their duties within the standing committees, and they are not personal gifts. “For the duration of the 10th assembly, spanning from 2023 to 2027, these vehicles will remain the property of the National Assembly. “However, should the government’s extant assets deboarding policy still be in place at the end of the assembly’s tenure in 2027, lawmakers may have the option to purchase the vehicles before they become their property.” He emphasised the importance of the vehicles in enhancing the performance of lawmakers’ duties, especially when it comes to oversight functions in various regions of the country. Akin said the aimed was to ensure that government interventions, programmes, and policies were effectively carried out, no matter where Nigerian citizens reside. He highlighted the percentage of the legislature’s budget as part of the national budget which had steadily decreased over the past decade, currently standing at 0.5 per cent of the federal budget. He urged stakeholders to focus on reducing costs in the right areas while supporting lawmakers in their efforts to fulfill their duties effectively and with integrity. He said the vehicles were work tools and not status symbols, intended to facilitate improved representation, constituency outreach, and oversight functions by elected representatives.

NAF to take delivery of 18 attack helicopters – CAS

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar says the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) will soon take delivery of 18 attack helicopters to boost its fleet of aircraft. Abubakar said this at a one-day tour of formations and units under the NAF 115 Special Operations Group (SOG) in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. He said that 12 attack helicopters would be supplied by the United States while another six helicopters would be provided by the Turkish government in September. “We are not deterred by recent developments as the Federal Government has approved the acquisition of 12 AH1 Zulu Cobra and six T129 Helicopters from the United States and Turkey respectively. “The first two T129 helicopters are scheduled to come into operation by September, to enhance our operational capabilities. “So, yes, we are saddened by the recent loss of our airplane (MI 171 helicopter) but then, we have a lot more (aircraft) coming in and our capabilities are increasing,” he said. Abubakar said he visited the state to commiserate with families of the NAF pilots and crew that died in the ill-fated helicopter crash in Niger on Aug. 14. “So, we came here to express our deepest condolences to the immediate family members of the crew that we lost. “The 115 special operations group is the home base for the airplane and all the crew that were onboard the unfortunate crash of our MI-171 helicopter. “Aside this, we are also here to interact with the officers and men of the unit to encourage and assure them of our support in Operation Delta Safe,” he added. The air force chief said the deceased crew onboard the crashed aircraft included the pilot, co-pilot and two airmen – who oversaw the cabin. He said the air force was currently putting measures in place to put an end to crashes of military aircraft in the country. According to him, the measures included the setting up of an air crash investigation board to detect the probable causes of the crash to mitigate future recurrence. “NAF has a target innovation of zero accidents, but the truth is that as long as we keep operating, there will be incidents because it is human beings that operate the aircraft. “We have also established and empowered our NAF Institute of Safety – where we train our pilots and technicians in the fundamentals of safety to improve safety culture in the air force. “The overall aim is that in the nearest future, we will have a well engraved safety culture in realisation of our target of zero accidents and incidents in NAF,” he said. Abubakar said the air force would continue to intensify the deployment of its attack helicopters in clamping down on illegal refineries in the Niger Delta. He said that joint operations with sister security agencies had led to the destruction of several illegal refining sites and confiscation of vessels used in stealing crude oil from the region.