Presidency: FG Buys Three Aircrafts For N21B

ABUJA, August 11, (THEWILL) - The Federal Government has given approval for the release of the sum of N21 billion as contained in the 2010 Appropriation Act for the outright purchase of three presidential jets.

The approval was sequel to negotiations between Nigerian officials and two separate business concerns from France and the United States for the three aircrafts, with Dassault Aviation of France handling the supply of two units of new Falcon 7X Aircrafts, while the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of USA is to supply the Gulfstream G550 for use by the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF).

Professor Dora Akunyili, Information and Communication Minister told reporters after the weekly meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan that negotiations at the instance of the President culminated into a Definite Purchase Agreement (DPA), which was signed in May 2010.

She said the purchase price of the two Falcon jets was put at $102 million US dollars, while the single Gulfstream jet is to cost another $53 million US Dollars, totaling $154 million US dollars for the three aircrafts.

Akunyili revealed that the committee set up for the negotiation of the acquisition of the aircrafts was able to get a reduction of the sum of $2.9 million US dollars from the proposed price of the two Falcon jets and another reduction of $5.47 million US dollars from the offer price of the single Gulfstream jet.

She explained that the first of the two Falcon jets being purchased would be delivered by the end of the fourth quarter of this year, while the second Falcon and the Gulfstream jet would be delivered by the end of the second quarter of next year.

"The sum of N21 billion has been provided in the 2010 Appropriation Act for the outright purchase of the two Falcon 7X aircraft and the one unit G550 to be delivered as agreed in the contract," she said.