THE Presidency is to take delivery, next week, of a new helicopter, the latest addition to the presidential fleet. The helicopter cost N2.561.991,487, or 13.16 per cent of the State House’s N19.457 billion appropriation in the 2006 budget. Stephen Oronsaye, Principal Secretary to the President confirmed the construction of landing and parking space for the new acquisition within the presidential villa . The encomium that has been poured on the quality of the helicopter is a total distraction from the obvious insensitivity the purchase signposts. Why would the Presidency plough more than N2 billion into a helicopter so soon after the purchase of a controversial presidential jet worth over N10 billion? We agree the nation must ensure the safety of its President. But at what cost to the citizens who are barely eeking out an existence from stifling economic conditions that have benefitted largely from the poor state of infrastructure? It is beyond reason to argue in favour of this expenditure when many sectors demanding urgent attention are left untouched by this administration. Nigeria has again been ranked by the latest UNDP, Human Development Index report among 30 countries with the lowest quality of life worldwide. The expenditure on the presidential helicopter would not have raised any eyebrows if serious efforts have been made in the last seven years to provide for the comfort, safety and security of ordinary Nigerians. While the President would be circling the country, in an helicopter millions of Nigerians cannot move round safely. The roads, which are touted to have cost billions of Naira to maintain, are in deplorable states, with many of them unmotorable. Notable among these roads are major highways like the Benin-Ore Expressway, which has collapsed and extended travel time from hours to days. The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is a death trap. Badagry Expressway looks abandoned to its poor state, while the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway that leads to the President’s farm and home has been under perpetual repairs since 2000. There are other roads all over the country whose poor state has created conducive settings for armed robbers to harass travellers who are stuck in the resulting traffic jams from gullies that have become fixed features of the roads. With the procurement of the presidential helicopter, the President would be further alienated from the people and their plight. The President will not use these roads and will lose the opportunity of seeing what his people go through. Nigeria would long have changed for better, if national problems are tackled with the type of urgency the purchase of a presidential aircraft gets. We are just wondering when the safety and welfare of the people count. Source: Vanguard
Nov182006