Sen Enyinnaya Abaribe

Sen Enyinnaya Abaribe, the lawmaker representing Abia South in the National Assembly disclosed on Monday, that he and his colleagues were not approached with a request for a new presidential jet before the purchase was made.

Following the new jet purchase, the Presidency faced so many criticisms from Nigerians who felt the President prioritized his luxury while neglecting the economic hardship faced by the masses.

Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga had in one of his explanations, said that what was purchased was not a new jet as was reported but a “refurbished jet.”

National Assembly members were not spared in the criticisms regarding the jet purchase, as many labelled them as rubber stamp easy approval of the Presidency’s request to purchase a new jet.

However, Senator Abaribe, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, yesterday, said such a request was never brought to the National Assembly.

He said: “I am in the national assembly, but I can tell you for a fact that nobody, quote me, nobody brought anything to the national assembly to say please approve this for purchase of a new plane.

“It was done without my knowledge, nobody brought anything. I never saw any document and I have always been in the national assembly. Ask anyone, none.”

He said that the failure of the Presidency to approach the National Assembly with a request means that part of the job of the legislator to be a check on the executive is not being efficiently carried out.

The lawmaker said he is worried that the public perceives the National Assembly members as rubber-stamped noting that it is like that because the lawmakers feel that they have fought a lot without much, yet it has not yielded much to the public and tried to have some cooperation with the executive.

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