The Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkareem Lawan, has made an urgent appeal to the Federal Government to procure a new aircraft for Vice President Kashim Shettima. This request comes in light of ongoing safety concerns regarding the current aircraft used by Shettima during his official engagements.
In a statement released on Sunday, Lawan highlighted the risks posed to Shettima’s life due to the malfunctioning presidential aircraft. “The life of the Vice President and that of his crew/officials stand at risk while using the old and faulty presidential aircraft,” he stated. Lawan emphasized the necessity for a new aircraft to prevent any further incidents.
The urgency of the appeal was underscored by recent events at JFK Airport in New York, where Shettima’s plane was involved in a potentially dangerous situation. Lawan expressed his relief that the Vice President and his team were unharmed. “I want to sympathise with the Nigerian Government, especially the office of the Vice President, his crew and staff over the unfortunate incident,” he noted.
The speaker’s statement also called for a thorough investigation into the incident that occurred at one of the world’s most secure airports. “I urge the Nigerian government to demand a thorough and timely investigation from the United States government over the incident that affected Vice President Kashim Shettima’s plane,” Lawan added, reflecting the serious nature of the situation.
Shettima’s safety concerns led to the cancellation of his trip to the Commonwealth Summit in Samoa just days prior. The presidency confirmed that a foreign object struck the Vice President’s plane during a stopover at JFK, prompting the decision to abort the journey.
This incident has raised significant alarm about the condition of the aircraft designated for the Vice President’s use, which has reportedly experienced several issues recently. Lawan stressed the need for immediate action, stating, “There is an urgent need to acquire a new aircraft for Senator Kashim Shettima so as to avoid these recurrences of air mishaps.”
