Ali Isa, a member of the house of representatives, says President Bola Tinubu should travel by road or use commercial flights for official engagements.

Isa, the minority whip and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing the Balanga/Billiri federal constituency of Gombe, spoke on the floor of the green chamber on Wednesday.

Isa was contributing to a motion sponsored by Satomi Ahmed, chairman of the house committee on national security and intelligence, on the need to probe the status of the presidential fleet.

Recently, Tinubu reportedly used a chartered aircraft from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia after the presidential jet developed a fault.

Early this month, Vice-President Kashim Shettima also cancelled his trip to the United States due to a fault developed by the presidential jet.

Shettima was to represent Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa business summit.

‘TINUBU SHOULD TRAVEL BY ROAD’

Isa said the president and the vice-president can travel by road or fly commercial airlines when they are going on official engagements.

“Mr Speaker, since an issue has been raised, I would advise that the president should suspend using the presidential aircraft; if there is a need he can use either commercial or chartered aircraft,” the lawmaker said.

“And another option that will also help Nigerians is if the president can travel by road. Nigerians will have hope that our roads will be repaired.”

Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker who presided over the plenary, said the president should not travel by road.

“Are you saying, Mr president, the number one leader should travel around by road?” Kalu asked.

But Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader, corroborated Isa’s position that the president can use commercial aircraft.

“I have not seen anything wrong with a public office holder using public aircraft. The prime minister of the UK uses British Airways. It is commercial,” Chinda said.

“We should be thinking of how to resuscitate the Nigerian Airway.

“British Airways is not a British Air Force; it is a British private company. If we have planes in the presidential fleet, they should be maintained, and the president and vice president can use them.

“If for any reason we have failed to maintain them, it is not for it to be discussed on the floor of the house.”

However, Sada Soli, a member from Katsina countered Chinda, saying that the UK prime minister uses a special British Airways plane.

An FCT high court in Maitama on Wednesday admitted the embattled former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele to bail in the sum of ₦300 million.

Justice Maryann Anenih granted him bail while ruling on his bail application over an alleged unlawful naira colour swap. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission brought against him a – count amended charge bordering on disobedience to the direction of the law.

Anenih in addition, ordered two sureties in the like sum of ₦300 million who must have property in Maitama district of Abuja. The sureties, she said, must in addition present the title documents and certificates of occupancy (C of O) to the court for verification.

The sureties in addition must submit to the Registrar of the court their recent passport photographs. The judge further added that Emefiele should submit to the registrar of the court his travelling documents and must be within Abuja within the period of his trial.

The judge ordered the certified true copy (CTC) from Justice Hamza Muazu who granted him bail in the same conditions. He earlier held that bail is at the discretion of the court according to what was placed before it, however, according to the law.

He added that the offence of six counts of confinement of advantage on self attracted 5 years imprisonment as punishment.

He held that there was nothing in the prosecution’s submission that showed that Emefiele would abscond or would jeopardise an investigation or threaten the security of the country.

Aviation unions, including the National Union of Air Transport Employee Association of Nigeria, the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations and Technical and Recreational Employees, have instructed Nigeria Meteorology Agency staff to begin strike action on Monday, May 20, 2024.

This was disclosed in a letter dated 14 May 2024, obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday.

The strike stems from management’s failure to address 45 months of minimum wage arrears and consequential adjustments for staff members.

The union, represented by the three General Secretaries: Ocheme Aba, Abdulrasaq Seidu, and Waheed Sikiru, wrote a letter addressed to NiMET’s Director General, Prof Charles Anoske, with the subject line ‘Re: Failure to Pay 45-Month Arrears of Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment—14 days ultimatum.’

The ultimatum had been issued, and management responded with what seemed like a compromise: paying off the 45 months of arrears in installments.

They also expressed their dismay that the agency’s staff has been awaiting the palliative payments sanctioned by the Federal Government since October 2023. Furthermore, they highlighted that the 25-35 per cent salary increase has not been implemented for them, alongside NiMET’s exclusion from receiving Peculiar Allowances.

“Furthermore, our Unions through a joint letter dated 4, April 2024, did request for review of the outdated conditions of service. To date the management has deemed our Unions unfit for any response,” it read.

The letter further reads, “The above catalogue of woes, and others unmentioned confirm that NiMET Staff have been consigned to the lin bin of abject poverty – worse than any existing aviation establishment. In our considered view, it is inhuman on the part of management to be forborne with these conditions and irresponsible on the part of unions to tolerate this situation for this long.

“Therefore, this letter serves as notice to the management of NiMET that the staff members of the agency are, by a copy of this letter, directed to withdraw all services with effect from Monday, May 20, 2024, unless and until the outstanding 42 months arrears of consequential adjustment is fully liquidated.

“NIMET Salary structure is adapted to an appropriate Federal Government approved structure and all accruable payments liquidated, Management commences review of the outdated CoS with our Unions with a definite timeline for delivery and actualisation.”