FG rejects US conditions for sale of fighter jets

The federal government says it will not accept the conditions given by the United States to sell fighter jets worth $494 million to the country.

Mansur Dan-Ali, minister of defence, said this on Thursday while briefing state house correspondents on the outcome of the security council meeting in Abuja.

Part of the conditions for the 12 A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets, according to the minister, is that the sale will not be made until 2020.

Also, Nigerian technicians would not be trained by US and they will not be part of the maintenance crew.

But addressing journalists, Dan-Ali said: “These conditions, we will not accept… They are also thinking of not allowing our technicians to be part of the production inspection.

“But this is what we normally do in all the defence contracts, we send our personnel to go and understudy, especially when it comes to specialized aircrafts like in Russia, our personnel are permanently based in where the production is being done for this MI35 helicopters.”

He said the federal government plans to meet with the US ambassador to discuss the conditions.

“Payments will be made when the conditions are reduced,” he added.