Despite Dwindling Resources: Nigerian Governors Spend Billions On Private Jets

Some state governors are spending billions of naira to hire private jets despite dwindling resources in their states, an investigation by Daily Trust on Sunday has shown.

Findings revealed that only a few governors use commercial flights to travel to Abuja and other parts of the country from their states as many of them pay for chartered aircraft.

While some of the trips are official engagements, others are for private engagements.

It was discovered that many of the states are in dire financial situations and can hardly pay salaries or meet other contractual obligations, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that even in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown last year, state governors embarked on interstate trips, mostly by private jets.

This was in clear violation of a ban to that effect, which they had agreed on as a measure to mitigate community transmission of the virus.

Checks by Daily Trust on Saturday indicate that a one-hour flight costs between $5,000 (N2.4m at N485 to one dollar) and $10,000, depending on the size of the aircraft.

So if it is a return flight, a governor with members of his entourage could pay as much as $20,000 to charter an aircraft.

-DailyTrust