The Presidency on Thursday said it has spent the sum of N33,538,000 only on the presidential jet parked at the London airport as against the humungous amount being bandied in the online media. This is even as apprehension has heightened over the true state of the President’s health which unconfirmed Presidency sources said has degenerated.

A senior member of the ruling party, APC, and one familiar with inside workings at Aso Rock said they did not anticipate that Mr. President would stay away for this long. The source who would not deny or confirm that the President’s health has taken a huge toll on him urged Nigerians to intensify prayers for their leader whom he said has brought a sense of pride and dignity to Nigerians across the globe with his anti-corruption stance.

The President jetted out of the country since May 7 and has spent over 50 days in London on medical vacation. The jet that flew him is still in London accumulating daily charges in line with international aviation rules.

Defending the retention of the Presidential Aircraft, NAF 001, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, through a statement in Abuja, confirmed that the presidential jet has been parked at a London airport for more than seven week. But he explained that it is costing the government  only £1,000 as against $5,000 (£4,000) a day as is being peddled in the online media space.

The statement read inter alia: “We have also read claims about outrageous fees allegedly paid by Nigeria. The published amounts are totally untrue. Aircraft conveying heads of state all over the world usually enjoy waivers even where payments for parking are differentiated by aircraft categories.

“We have been assured that where the waiver is not granted, payment will not exceed £1,000, which is a quarter of the amount being peddled,” Mr. Shehu said.

The spokesman also said Mr. Buhari was not the first, and will not be the last, to have a presidential aircraft standing by for him.

“All past Heads of this country have had this privilege, and the part that surprises the most is that leaders who in the past travelled with three Nigerian aircraft did not suffer this trenchant criticism”.

The statement was silent on the amount expended by Nigeria on the President’s medical bill. Many Nigerians including civil society organisations have asked the Presidency to state the true status of the President’s health.