OMG:: You'll not believe how Much the FG needs to maintain Presidential Jets in 2014

The Federal Government has budgeted N1.52b for the maintenance of the 10 aircraft currently in the Presidential Air Fleet in 2014.

The maintenance cost is slightly higher than the N1.5bn proposed as the initial deposit for the purchase of additional aircraft that will bring the number of aircraft in the fleet to 11.

This is apart from the N747m earmarked for the purchase of aviation fuel for the aircraft already in the fleet.

These figures are contained in the details of
the 2014 Appropriation Bill presented to the
National Assembly by President Goodluck
Jonathan through the Minister of Finance,
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, penultimate
week.

The government has also earmarked
N458.5m for international trainings for the
fleet's personnel in the coming year.

Another chunk of the budget for the fleet is
the N675.9m budgeted for the rehabilitation/renovation/repairs of PAF Barracks.

A whopping N405.5m is also proposed for
the completion of a hangar project under the PAF budget for the year while N106m is earmarked for tyre bay tools and equipment.

The PAF's security vote (including
operations) is N259.55m; insurance premium - N445.7m; as well as cleaning and fumigation services -N58m. N71.74m is budgeted for 797 units of LG 2HP air conditioners for PAF Barracks;
N40.5m is earmarked for three units of
Toyota Coaster buses and N26.4m for four
units of Toyota Hilux.

Motor vehicle fuel will gulp N29.6m, other
transport equipment fuel cost - N26.5m;
plant/generator fuel cost N14.5m as well as
cooking gas/fuel cost - N2m.

The N67m devoted to miscellaneous
included refreshment and meals - N28.9m;
postage and courier services - N15m;
medical expenses - N12m; corps members
kitting, transport and feeding allowance
N3.7m and honorarium and sitting allowance - N3.6m.

PAF is said to have the third largest fleet of
aircraft in the country with a total of 10
aircraft, coming closely behind
Aerocontractors Airlines, which has a total
of 14 aircraft. Arik Air, the largest commercial airline in the country, has a fleet of 23 aircraft.

The PAF include two Falcon 7X jets, two
Falcon 900 jets, Gulfstream 550, one Boeing 737 BBJ (Nigerian Air Force 001 or Eagle One), and Gulfstream IVSP.

Others are one Gulfstream V, Cessna
Citation 2 aircraft and Hawker Siddley
125-800 jet.