237-day medical trips: Despite Buhari’s pledge to cut cost, presidential fleet racks up N64.15b

• What Buhari’s 237-day medical trips cost taxpayers
• Landing, fuel, parking charges gulp over N1.1 billion
• Experts lament capital flight lost to medical tourism

President Muhammadu Buhari returned to the country on Sunday night, marking his 10th medical return trips from London, and 237 days of either treating or checking undisclosed ailments abroad in the last seven years.

With the BBJ weighing an average of 70 tonnes, it costs £4.233 (or N2.21 million @N521.48/£) each day, and cumulatively £1.00 million (N523.23 million) in 237 days.
 
Each landing is estimated to cost about £336.07 (N175.250) and cumulatively N1.75 million. Fuel, landing and parking charges account for a total of N1.11 billion.
 
Other sundry charges at the airport include navigational service charge, night operation charge, police services charge, CAA Aviation security charge, new security equipment charge, ground handling changes that may be as high as £5000, engine run-up bay charge, stand de-icing charge, marshaling charge and technical wash charge, among others.
 
Former Commandant of the Lagos Airport in the 90s, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), said at an average cost of N1 billion to N5 billion, including crew feeding and accommodation, “it is still tolerable, except there are reasons to believe that there are officials exploiting such trips.”
 
Ojikutu noted that the scenario did play out during Obasanjo’s administration, where an official was inflating Mr. President’s travel expenses and later got fired.
 
“Can such still happen today? Yes, and probably worse. Does Buhari know? I doubt that very much,” he said. Aviation enthusiast, Sunday Olumegbon, viewed the record differently. He said Buhari’s medical tourism footprints are “landmark and immoral.
 
“Constitutionally, he is at liberty to receive medical care wherever he likes. However, this is a President that promised Nigerians in 2015 to cut the cost of the presidential fleet once he comes to power. He came to power but he did not keep his promises, instead the cost started increasing. Interestingly, he has turned out to be the biggest beneficiary of the fleet, jetting out of the country at will. It is self-serving,” Olumegbon said.

On coming to power in 2015, President Buhari had ordered that the presidential fleet of 10 exotic airplanes be depleted to save cost. Two aircraft were put up for sale in 2016 but did not get buyers. However, the cost of managing the ‘depleted’ fleet continued to balloon.
 
In 2016, PAF was awarded N3.65 billion. From N4.37 billion in 2017, its vote rose to N7.26 billion in 2018. The 2019 budget provided N7.3 billion as fleet maintenance cost, and jumped to N8.5 billion in 2020. In 2021 and 2022, the Federal Government budgeted N25 billion for the fleet. For next year, the PAF has been awarded a reduced N8.07 billion.   
 
Olumegbo said further, “worst is that, what has the President done to replicate in Abuja, Lagos or Daura, the type of hospitals he visits in London at our expense? Nothing. And in seven years, the only thing that has improved in this country is his health. That is the most selfish of any President.
 
“Note that his salary as president in eight years cannot foot the bills he has raked on receiving treatment in London. But he and his handlers have not seen any lesson in that. I think it is a big shame.”
 
In 2017, the Presidency had defended the retention of the aircraft in UK, citing national security and prestige accorded world leaders when they travel abroad. It also denied that the parking charge cost £4,000.
 
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, ‎said “there is no world leader who travels abroad and is left without plans for immediate return or possible evacuation.”