Amid the economic hardship imprisoning Nigerians, the Borno State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, has raised alarm over Kashim Shettima’s safety, citing the risks posed by the “faulty” presidential aircraft he uses for official duties on behalf of Bola Tinubu around the world.
Lawan’s statement came after Shettima canceled his trip to the Commonwealth Summit in Samoa following an incident at JFK Airport in New York.
According to the presidency, a foreign object struck Shettima’s aircraft during a stopover, causing damage to parts of the plane, including the cockpit windscreen.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed the damage and the subsequent cancellation of the trip.
In a statement from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Sunday, Lawan urged the Federal Government to provide a new aircraft for Shettima to prevent any potential tragedy.
He noted that the current aircraft assigned to the Vice President has experienced multiple incidents in recent times.
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“I want to sympathize with the Nigerian Government, especially the office of the Vice President, his crew and staff over the unfortunate incident at JFK Airport in New York, U.S.A.”
“I also express my gratitude to Allah (God) for saving the precious life of our dear Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima and those on board the ill- fated VP’s plane, even as I urge the Nigerian government to demand a thorough and timely investigation from the United States government over the incident that affected Vice President Kashim Shettima’s plane at one of the most secure spots in the World.
“The life of the Vice President, and that of his crew/officials stand at risk while using the old and faulty presidential aircraft. Therefore, there is the urgent need to acquire a new aircraft to Senator Kashim Shettima so as to avoid these recurrence of air mishaps,” he said.
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence directed the Federal Government to procure new aircraft for both Tinubu and Shettima. However, facing intense public scrutiny, the presidency ultimately acquired an aircraft only for Tinubu.
(Daily Trust)
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