These N12 Billion Fire Trucks Must Be Diamond-Plated Within, Without – Oby Ezekwesili Queries

A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili has queried the amount the federal government said it used to purchase 10 firefighting trucks.

The firefighting trucks, which the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika disclosed, cost a whooping N12 billion will be deployed to some airports in the country.

The airports included the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

Sirika disclosed this while presenting the 10 firefighting vehicles to the Aeronautical Rescue and Fire Fighting Services of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Expectedly, the cost of the trucks has since caused an uproar on social media.

Taking to her official Twitter handle on Monday, Oby Ezekwesili expressed shock at the cost of the trucks.

Ezekwesili mocked the Aviation minister, saying for the trucks to cost that much, they must have been diamond-plated within and without.

While directly not doubting whether the trucks cost that much, the former education minister said she now knows why the Due Process-Public Procurement reforms were derided.

She wrote, “Hmmm🤔. These fire trucks must be diamond-plated within and without, Mr. Minister @hadisirika ! At official @cenbank exchange rate, each truck cost almost $2.4 million? How?

“Now I know why some of your folks deride the Due Process-Public Procurement reforms. I get it now. ✍🏾✍🏾”

Hmmm🤔. These fire trucks must be diamond-plated within and without, Mr Minister @hadisirika ! At official @cenbank exchange rate, each truck cost almost $2.4 million? How?

Now I know why some of your folks deride the Due Process-Public Procurement reforms. I get it now. ✍🏾✍🏾 https://t.co/ZVh67ePFhi

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) April 3, 2023

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Kalu has lost his first wife, Mrs. Ifeoma Kalu, who died at the age of 61.

Kalu announced this in a post on his social media handle.