The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the presidency and the National Assembly (NASS) to take immediate action on the alarm raised by the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, concerning the danger posed by the faulty plane being used by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
MURIC joined the Borno Speaker on the issue on Tuesday, 29th October, 2024. In a statement issued by the founder and Executive Director of the Islamic human rights organisation, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the group said Nigeria should not be penny wise, pound foolish.
“Media reports at the weekend have revealed the alarm raised by Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, concerning the danger posed by the faulty plane being used by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
“A nation that plays with the lives of its leaders cannot be taken seriously. A rickety old plane should not be the best we can offer our vice president if we are serious as a nation and if we value the lives of our leaders.
“It is also an infringement on Allah-given fundamental human rights of anyone who is our president or vice president if he has to live in constant fear of danger to his life. Our leaders also have the right to the safety of their lives. Anyone who is serving his country, particularly at that high level, should not be subjected to fear for his own safety.
“Those who fly by air regularly know how traumatic it is to sit for hours in an aeroplane that gives signs of faults. It is callous, petty and mean to insist that your leaders should continue to use rickety old planes that pose dangers to their lives. We may have economic challenges at present but Nigeria should not be penny wise, pound foolish.
“Of serious concerns are the constant technical issues the vice president’s plane continue to have. The recent abortion of his crucial trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa is a special case in point. The VP’s plane was reportedly hit by a strange object which damaged the cockpit windscreen.
“We therefore call on the presidency and the National Assembly to prioritise the procurement of a new plane for the vice president’s office.”
