[size=14pt]Presidential air crew grumble in Saudi [/size]
By Musa Simon Reef

The continuous absence of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua from the corridors of power is beginning to exert its toll on the presidential air fleet, with some crew members lamenting since they arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 23, 2009.

The presidential crew, consisting of captains, co-pilots, flight engineers, and flight attendants are allegedly complaining of being nostalgic about their inability to see their family members.

According to a source, “the crew members are homesick and are groaning over their long stay in Saudi Arabia.

They are longing for a re-union with their family members and can’t wait to be back in the country.”

The crew members, who took ailing President Yar’adua to the Royal Kingdom for treatment in his Executive 737 Boeing Presidential jet, have spent their 85th day in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Sources told Peoples Daily that some members of the crew have confirmed the seizure of their passports and other travel documents on arrival in Jeddah last year.

“They have become more or less hostages to an uncertain situation surrounding the ailing President. Even though the crew is staying at the prestigious Trident Hotel in Jeddah, the members are expressing a strong wish to come back home,” a source said.

A particular crew member who lost a relative, according to the source, was allegedly not allowed to come to Nigeria when he requested to be allowed home to commiserate with other relations.

“The bereaved crew member was told to exercise patience and wait along with others.

“We are like hostages here. Our hotel bills are being picked up and there is no problem about that. We have also been occasionally told that the President is getting better and that we would soon go home,” one of the crew members told one of our sources.

Contacted on the alleged dilemma of the crew members, Special Adviser to President on Aviation Matters, Captain Shehu Iyal, said he was not aware of what was happening to the crew members.

“I am not in charge of the presidential fleet. I am presently in Kano and I am involved in Hajj matters. But I do not believe such can be true. But I am not competent to speak on the matter,” Iyal told Peoples Daily yesterday.

Presidential crew members, according to another source are each entitled to a minimum of $500 per night whenever they were on duty.

“When you add their hotel bills with their allowances, you have a minimum of $1000 for crew members per night,” the source said.

Though a national daily had reported that that the Federal Government had spent the sum of N30 million as allowances for the crew members, the amount has risen to over N60 million.

Enquiries on landing charges for planes in Saudi Arabia indicated that the government may have paid $133,620 (N19, 775, 760, 00) for parking the presidential plane at Jeddah airport.

According to a source, the type of plane used to fly the Nigerian president is billed $524 every eight hours, making it $1572 per day.

http://www.peoplesdaily-online.com/index.php/news/national-news/16-national-news/9704-presidential-air-crew-grumble-in-saudi

This Yar Adua thing would have been so funny, if only a life wasn't involved. What a wretched country!

Can they fly the crew back and return to pick presido when he is discharged from the hospital?

deor03:

Can they fly the crew back and return to pick presido when he is discharged from the hospital?

Apparently the need to be on standby. . . .

Topic. . .
Nigeria is so screwed sideways and mid-ways!!

funny indeed

Million , million every time.They should give me some of these millions na.

^^^^
Just wait ma boy. You have to be a good striker like rooney to get to that point

deor03:

Can they fly the crew back and return to pick presido when he is discharged from the hospital?

Ask me o!
Imagine keeping a Boeing 737 on standby for 3 months in a foreign land. Each crew member is getting at least $1000 per night plus the maintainance and packing costs of the aircraft.
The whole thing is like a huge joke.

You couldn't have said it better o. . . That alone is an impeachable offence. The pilots & crew better enjoy Saudi well & pray Yar'adua comes out of this alive if not something can conviniently happen to all the money that's suppossedly theirs

sack all of them and employ new ones abeg.

$500 per night, the crew members are now millionaires just sleep and wake up doing nothing for 3 months and counting. Well no be them fault anyway na their time and make they stop complaining and their salaries are counting as well. SICK country

i'd like to be on that crew too . . . $85,000 for doing nothing.

why are they complaining?.have they forgotten that he who works with the king dies with the king.when the good was going we didnt hear them and nobody knows they collect a whooping 1000 dollars per night.yeye country

Stand by for what? Send the crew and the plane back.

SapeleGuy:

Stand by for what? Send the crew and the plane back.

and leave our president stranded? are U ok?

Why are there complaining after getting a lot of $$$,for doing nothing and enjoying in a prestigious hotelIf they come back with them $$,then there shall enjoy them with their families,
But,Jonathan should order the plane back and he should use it pending the arrival() of the president

The plane should be brought back, it is way too expensive to have everyone living in Saudi Arabia and paying the landing rights fees. When the president is well enough, Jonathan will send a plane to bring him back, full stop.

Is the parking of presidential plane free in saudi arabia?

Awufu dey run belle.Nigeria is a kindergarten playground filled with cry cry babies.

davidylan:

i'd like to be on that crew too . . . $85,000 for doing nothing.

How are you sure the kleptobots in Abuja will pay them what they are due?