By LOUIS IBA

The last might not have been heard of the controversy between regulatory institutions in Nigeria’s aviation sector and the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, over his recently grounded private aircraft. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday said Caverton Helicopters had denied having any dealings with the Rivers State government over the management and operation of the Bombardier Global Express 5000 with registration number N565RS.

The aircraft has been the butt of controversy since Friday, April 26, when it was delayed at the Akure airport for the failure of its pilot to declare the flight’s manifest. On Tuesday, the Rivers State government while absolving itself from any form of breach of regulatory laws had announced that Caverton Helicopters was managing the aircraft for the state, including its documentation and clearance to operate in the country as a foreign registered aircraft.

But in a letter NCAA wrote to the Minister of Aviation on April 29 and signed by its acting Director General, Joyce Nkemakolam, the regulatory body refuted the submission of the Rivers state government. Said the NCAA “Caverton Helicopters was invited for a meeting today, the 29th of April, 2013 they denied having any dealings with this aircraft in question.” The NCAA said it might have to invite the security agencies for further investigation as indications showed that the documents used to operate the aircraft in Nigeria were fake.

The letter to the minister also revealed that after the Akure incident, NCAA was prompted to investigate the aircraft background and discovered that it had been operating into and out of Nigeria on ad hoc basis, which means that it never had proper documents for it to actually operate in the country. “After the media reports of what happened in Akure airport, we undertook a due diligence of the status of the aircraft and to our amazement found that the aircraft has been operating into and out of Nigeria on ad hoc since January 2013,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it amounted to ordinary rumour for some persons to hold the view that the Bombadier BD 700-1A11 (Global Express) belonging to the Rivers State Government was grounded at the Akure Airport on Friday, April, 26, 2013 evening for political reasons. The agency explained, “We maintain that the aircraft’s pilot erred by not filing mandatory documents, that is the manifest as and when due, at an airport that was not certified for night flight operations.

“Whenever an aircraft stays beyond 6.00pm, authorization must be gotten from the appropriate authorities before such aircraft is cleared for take-off, hence the slight delay in the departure of the aircraft.” FAAN said in a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Yakubu Dati that the aircraft in question belonged to and was registered in the name of Bank of Utah Trustees, Salt Lake City, USA, and only had permission to fly into Nigeria on March 27th, 2013 and depart on April, 2nd, 2013. “As at Friday, the parent company (BUT) had not regularized its status to continue to fly in the Nigerian airspace, neither has it been given a flight operation clearance certificate.

The aviation industry abides by strict regulations and does not waive such, no matter whose ox is gored. “We believe the entire scenario has been concocted to enmesh a safety and procedural issue into a political matter. It was unfortunate that three government agencies; FAAN, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have been dragged into a politics of intrigue for doing their work properly.” Dati also said the aviation industry is internationally regulated, “so we believe that the appropriate authorities should be left to perform their duties as it ought to be done, in the overall nterest of safety and security.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/business/amaechi-lied-over-aircraft-maintenance-deal-ncaa/

noblezone: By LOUIS IBA

The last might not have been heard of the controversy between regulatory institutions in Nigeria’s aviation sector and the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, over his recently grounded private aircraft. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday said Caverton Helicopters had denied having any dealings with the Rivers State government over the management and operation of the Bombardier Global Express 5000 with registration number N565RS.

The aircraft has been the butt of controversy since Friday, April 26, when it was delayed at the Akure airport for the failure of its pilot to declare the flight’s manifest. On Tuesday, the Rivers State government while absolving itself from any form of breach of regulatory laws had announced that Caverton Helicopters was managing the aircraft for the state, including its documentation and clearance to operate in the country as a foreign registered aircraft.

But in a letter NCAA wrote to the Minister of Aviation on April 29 and signed by its acting Director General, Joyce Nkemakolam, the regulatory body refuted the submission of the Rivers state government. Said the NCAA “Caverton Helicopters was invited for a meeting today, the 29th of April, 2013 they denied having any dealings with this aircraft in question.” The NCAA said it might have to invite the security agencies for further investigation as indications showed that the documents used to operate the aircraft in Nigeria were fake.

The letter to the minister also revealed that after the Akure incident, NCAA was prompted to investigate the aircraft background and discovered that it had been operating into and out of Nigeria on ad hoc basis, which means that it never had proper documents for it to actually operate in the country. “After the media reports of what happened in Akure airport, we undertook a due diligence of the status of the aircraft and to our amazement found that the aircraft has been operating into and out of Nigeria on ad hoc since January 2013,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it amounted to ordinary rumour for some persons to hold the view that the Bombadier BD 700-1A11 (Global Express) belonging to the Rivers State Government was grounded at the Akure Airport on Friday, April, 26, 2013 evening for political reasons. The agency explained, “We maintain that the aircraft’s pilot erred by not filing mandatory documents, that is the manifest as and when due, at an airport that was not certified for night flight operations.

“Whenever an aircraft stays beyond 6.00pm, authorization must be gotten from the appropriate authorities before such aircraft is cleared for take-off, hence the slight delay in the departure of the aircraft.” FAAN said in a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Yakubu Dati that the aircraft in question belonged to and was registered in the name of Bank of Utah Trustees, Salt Lake City, USA, and only had permission to fly into Nigeria on March 27th, 2013 and depart on April, 2nd, 2013. “As at Friday, the parent company (BUT) had not regularized its status to continue to fly in the Nigerian airspace, neither has it been given a flight operation clearance certificate.

The aviation industry abides by strict regulations and does not waive such, no matter whose ox is gored. “We believe the entire scenario has been concocted to enmesh a safety and procedural issue into a political matter. It was unfortunate that three government agencies; FAAN, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have been dragged into a politics of intrigue for doing their work properly.” Dati also said the aviation industry is internationally regulated, “so we believe that the appropriate authorities should be left to perform their duties as it ought to be done, in the overall nterest of safety and security.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/business/amaechi-lied-over-aircraft-maintenance-deal-ncaa/

This is what you end up with when you allow incompetent individuals without any moral standings to head a vital Agency like the NCAA. Does the current incompetent DG thinks the previous DG known for His very strict Aviation regulation and oversight would have allowed RSG bring the Aircraft into Nigeria without the necessary documents?

Beside, lets assume that the Aircraft has been flying in Nigeria Airspace since 2012 without the relevant documents, is NCAA tell us that they have been in the known that this Aircraft has been flying the Nigerian airspace without proper documentation and yet did not invite the RSG to advise them rightly what they ought to do?

Also, shouldn't the Agency be an advisory body to any individual, corporation or government that wants to fly their aircraft within the Nigerian Airspace? Can they tell Nigerians at what point they informed RSG that their Aircraft was not properly documented? Did they issue any memo viz directive to the RSG telling specifically what they ought to do? If not, why not?