UNTIL 1999, the Presidential fleet was under the control and supervision of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Before 1999, senior air force officers in their grey upon blue well ironed uniforms were seen on the eleventh floor of Federal Secretariat which was then the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, hanging around.
But in June 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo transferred the fleet to be part of the schedule of the Chief of Staff to the President.
The argument was that since the Chief of Staff was the head of the staff attached to the President and since he was aware of the hourly movement of the President, he was in a better position to control the fleet adequately. I understand that the fleet is now under Col. Sabo Dasuki (rtd.) the National security adviser whose loyalty and patriotism are never in doubt. Before 1999 the fleet was almost dormant for lack of use.
General Ibrahim Babangida (72) hardly travels outside the country except to visit some states and Chief Earnest Oladeinde Adegunle Shonekan (79) whose tenure lasted less than 100days made use of the fleet only once when he attended the Commonwealth conference outside Nigeria. The second time he used the fleet was when he was overthrown and brought down to Lagos in company of Chief Dapo Sarumi.
General Sani Abacha hardly travelled outside Abuja. In fact, during his era, Pilots attached to the Presidential Fleet complained of under utilisation, raising fears that they might lose their licenses for not flying enough. In 1997, he made only five trips outside Abuja, in 1998, he made three trips, the fourth would have taken him to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso on June 8, 1998 for the African Union Conference, the very day he died.
General Abdusalam Abubakar who spent less than eleven months in office was too busy with his transition programme that he hardly travelled. He made four trips during his era, two to Niger Delta to inspect the oil spillage in that area.
As for President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Jagunmolu of Egbaland, he was a flying President. Even till date, when the Presidential fleet is outside his control, he is still flying around the world. He loves to fly. That is the way he is. And the Pilots attached to the Presidential Fleet loved him for that.
The Presidential fleet still remains today the most important posting in the Nigerian Air force. For example, the present Chief of Defence Staff, Marshall Alex Sabundu Badeh was a product of the Presidential fleet, as he flew former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar between 1999 and 2007 severally.
Even the present Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Nunayun Amosu was a product of the Nigeria Presidential Air fleet too. The Fleet has one of the largest Aircrafts in the world in comparison to other countries.
The British Prime Minister has no Presidential Aircraft. Members of the British Government charters either British Airways or Virgin Atlantic most times.
The government of Tunisia operates a Boeing 737 BBJ. An Airbus A340-500 has also been purchased and VIP configured, but was never used for travel and has been stored since 2011 revolution that ousted former dictator Ben Ali. The Tunisian government is reportedly trying to sell both aircraft.
The government of Algeria operates an Airbus A340-500.
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong travels on commercial aircraft, usually operated by Cathay Pacific. He travels on helicopters operated by the Government Flying Service.
The Ivorian government uses a Gulf IV as a VIP aircraft. Further they also use a government Boeing 727-200WGL.
The State of Israel does not currently possess a specific jet for use of its Head of State. Wherever the current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flies long distances (out of the country), the Government leases an airliner from the state airline El Al. Meanwhile, the President Reuvin Rivlin and other high ranking dignitaries are relegated to El Al first class commercial service. As of 2014, the Kness
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