MURIC: Hanan Buhari Flying on Presidential Jet an Inspiration to Youth
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has described the use of Presidential jet by children of President Muhammadu Buhari for private social functions, as illegal.
Speaking to newsmen over the weekend, Falana said the children of the President have no right to convert the Presidential jet to personal use.
But, MURIC in a statement signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, defended the president’s daughter’s action.
MURIC claims that critics are just making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, Falan berated the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, for saying all members of the first family had the right to use the Presidential jet for private engagements.
Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, had come under fire for using the Presidential jet to attend an event in Bauchi State last week, where she was invited to take pictures and make a catalogue of Bauchi arts and culture as part of her pet project.
In reaction to criticisms, the President’s spokesman admitted that Hannan had flown on the presidential jet, but insisted that it was a normal practice.
“The normal practice in existence for a long time is that the presidential air fleet is available to the president and the first family and four others. These four are the vice-president, the senate president the speaker and any other person authorised by the president,” Shehu had said.
But in a statement on Sunday, however, Falana described the use of the Presidential jet for personal use as an abuse of office, and privatisation of the presidency of Nigeria.
“The so called ‘normal practice’ of using the aircraft in the presidential fleet by members of the first family to attend to private engagements is not backed by any extant law or official policy,” he said.
“In view of the foregoing, we call on President Buhari to stop the members of his family from using any of the aircraft in the presidential fleet “with a view to cutting down on waste”.
“A country that is said to be the headquarters of the greatest number of poverty stricken people in the world cannot afford to waste billions of Naira on the use of presidential aircraft and hiring of commercial jets by state governors that are owing workers several months of unpaid salaries.”
The senior advocate also asked the Presidency to apologise to Nigerians rather than justify the act.
Lashing out at critics, describing them as ‘petty, mean and most uncharitable’, MURIC insists that Hannan’s invite by the Emir of Bauchi is not a private event.
They then urged politicians to desist from politics of negativism and encouraged Nigerians to see Buhai’s daughter as an inspiration to youths.
The statement read: “An emirate has shown keen interest in the uncommon skill of the president’s daughter. The emirate therefore invited her to demonstrate the skill at a public function. So how private is a private function? Those who described the occasion as personal to Hanan are petty, mean and most uncharitable.
“How private is private? Are we saying that the traditional institution is inconsequential? What happened to our respect for our norms and values? Are we to assume that our system no longer recognises the traditional institution? If so, why do governors still appoint emirs, obis and obas? If the law of the land still recognises traditional rulers, Hanan’s invitation to Bauchi cannot be rightly described as a private affair.
“Besides, that function passed a strong message to Nigerian youths, especially the Nigerian girl-child. It poses a challenge to them to eschew laziness. More importantly, it underlines the significance and relevance of every aspect of human knowledge. This is a very important message wailers missed.
“An intelligent and objective observer will see beyond the use of a presidential jet. Well, only the deep can call to the deep. We all know that Nigerians will give their right eyes to secure admission for their children to read choice courses like medicine, law, accounting, banking and finance, etc.
“They pay little attention and give complex to those reading what they regard as ‘low profile’ courses like theater arts, education, religion, photography, etc.
“Hanan Buhari has challenged the status quo. She read photography and made first class. We salute her. She has done the Nigerian girl-child proud. She elevated a ‘low profile’ course thus raising the spirit of those poor students reading similar courses.
“We have chosen to address the tangential, not the peripheral. What’s in a presidential jet when the dreams of thousands of Nigerian students have been rekindled?
Hanan Buhari is saying, ‘Stop looking down on those who read less glamorous courses. Stop despising artists. They are the gem of the collection’. Therefore, Hanan Buhari symbolises courage, hope and success. Instead of criminalising her action, wailers should realise that she has elected to inspire Nigerian youths to be hopeful and hardworking.
“Besides, President Buhari should not be guillotined for permitting her daughter’s use of the jet. Afterall, it was not for any frivolous jamboree like shopping in Dubai. We may want to ignore the excesses of past landlords of Aso Rock to justify PMB’s action. But it is on record that some first ladies actually excelled Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI in extravagance. Whereas PMB exhibited prudence each time he attended the United Nations’ events, we know those who went with about 150 in tow, brandishing pomp and pageantry on the streets of Washingon DC to the consternation of other delegates. We know past presidents who gave out presidential jets to their cronies and praise-singers, their aourt jesters and bootlickers. But we will not descent to that petty level.
“It amounts to overzealouness on the part of critics to grab every little straw and make mountains out of mole hills. They are simply trying to draw the attention of Nigerians away from PMB’s monumental achievements simply because they were merely looking for the president’s faults.
“We appeal to politicians to change from politics of negativity, retardation and destruction to positivism, patriotism and constructive engagement. It is not everything that political opponents do that we must sensationalise and demonise. It raises true democrats above the herd to appreciate good things in the opponent.
“As we drop the anchor, we appeal to Nigerians to ignore the razzmatazz in the presidential jet furore. Rather, attention should be given to the lessons inherent in Hanan Buhari’s outing. We call on Nigerian youth to see light at the end of the tunnel. There is a bright future for those who face their studies and vocations no matter what field. Politicians should desist from politics of negativism.”
