Godswill Akpabio says the Senate will consider a request for a new presidential jet if there is a necessity for that but dismissed claims that the lawmakers are set to approve the purchase of the same at the moment.
Akpabio, the senate president, said this during plenary in Abuja on Thursday amid claims in some quarters that the Senate is set to approve the purchase of a new jet for President Bola Tinubu.
“Irrespective of anticipatory blackmail, because those people know very well that something like that might come in the future. And if it’s a necessity, the Senate will look into it. But there is nothing like that before us now. So, they can go ahead and blackmail the senate president, that will not affect me.”
‘Senate is Very Responsible’
The senate president who refuted claims that the National Assembly does not care for the masses, said the lawmakers are committed to doing what is best for the generality of Nigerians.
“The Senate is very responsible. The National Assembly is very responsible. We will look into issues that will benefit the governance of the country,” Akpabio said.
“That is what you can call anticipatory blackmail. The purveyors of the story know very well that maybe there is a problem with the presidential fleet and that where they will go will be the parliament,” he said.
“And so they are now trying to do anticipatory blackmail to tell us if they bring it, do not look into it.
“So, I think that we should ignore them because of what we are doing here. I read the president’s correspondence to us, there was nothing touching on a plane or no plane. But I can tell you that when you hear stories such as the death of the vice president of Malawi as a result of a defective plane.
And then you hear stories such as the death of the president of Iran as a result of a defective helicopter and all that, we shouldn’t ever dream and allow such to be at our portion. It wouldn’t be.”