The crisis over an aircraft owned by the Rivers State
Government deepened on Thursday, as the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
commenced a discreet probe to determine Governor
Rotimi Amaechi's link to the alleged inflation of the
cost of the plane by $10m. The aircraft has been the
subject of a row between the Rivers State
Government and the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority.
It was learnt that the anti-graft agency is looking into
the 'high possibility' of alleged money laundering in
relation to the purchase of the aircraft.
A source said on Thursday that while the state
government claimed to have purchased the
Bombardier aircraft with $57m, records available to
the EFCC showed that it may have been bought for
$47m, thereby creating room for suspicion on how
$10m was spent.
It was learnt that the state House of Assembly
approved the purchase of the controversial aircraft
within 24 hours.
It was further gathered that operatives of the EFCC
might also be looking into how two aircraft
purchased by the Rivers State Government under
former Governor Peter Odili were managed.
One of the aircraft was sold to the Cross River State
Government while the other aircraft manufactured
by a Brazilian firm, an air ambulance, was said to
have been phased out.
Investigations further revealed that the company
wrote the Rivers State Government to say it was
longer manufacturing the spare parts of the aircraft
and so it was returned.
A source said the anti-graft agency was probing the
management of the aircraft because rather than just
phasing it out, it should have been traded in for
another aircraft.
It was learnt that a focus of the investigation was to
find out if there was any link whatsoever between
the new aircraft and the aircraft in the area of cost.
Contacted, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said
he had not been briefed on the matter.
"I'm not aware of this," he said on the telephone.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has
said that the aircraft it grounded does not belong to
the state government.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr. Fan
Ndubuoke, told our correspondent on Thursday that
the aircraft belonged to a private firm, contrary to
claims by the Rivers State Government that it owned
the controversial plane.
He said, "The document we have does not show
Rivers State Government as the owner of the aircraft.
The registration is saying that the plane is owned by
a company and not Rivers. So it is you people that
will ask Amaechi how he came in contact with the
aircraft. What is his relationship with the owner of
the aircraft? That is his own business and I cannot
answer that question for him.
"From the records we have, we have told you the
owner of the aircraft. So whether it is from his friend
or whoever, is it for me to know? It is not for me to
know. Because from our records there is nowhere
Rivers State Government is stated as the owner of the
aircraft."
He admitted that the aircraft was registered in the
name of Bank of Utah in the United States, stressing
that the governor should tell the public what he
knows about the controversial plane.
Ndubuoke explained that the plane, before it was
grounded, only had approval to move from Accra to
Port Harcourt. He wondered why the crew decided
to fly to other destinations outside the aircraft's
approved routes.
He said, "The clearance for the aircraft was sought
by Caverton Helicopters on March 27. Amaechi did
not seek clearance and the Rivers state government
did not seek clearance.
The route they were given the clearance to fly was
Accra-Port Harcourt-Accra.
"That does not mean it is the only place that they can
fly. But that was the route with which they applied
for the clearance. So if they now want to fly to
Owerri or Akure, they need to reapply for another
clearance. That is just the true matter, nothing more,
nothing less. Their movement to Akure was illegal
because it was not captured in the clearance."
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency had last
Friday refused to grant approval to the governor's
aircraft to leave Akure airport.
According to NAMA, the development was due to the
failure of the pilot of the plane to submit the
required manifest of passengers on board. The
airspace agency also said it was untrue that the
aircraft was grounded by the airspace manager at
the Akure airport.
The Managing Director, NAMA, Mr. Nnamdi Udoh,
argued that contrary to the politicisation of the
incident, the agency carried out its functions in line
with the global aviation standard.
He was reported as saying, "By regulation, the
manager has no power to clear any aircraft at that
time of the day because Akure Airport operates day
light operations. Approval must be given through the
manager to the tower."
On Saturday, NCAA had declared that the
controversial aircraft operated illegally in the
country.
As a result, the civil aviation authority grounded the
Bombardier-BD 700 Global Express aircraft with
registration number N565RS. It said the plane had an
expired clearance approval effective April 2, 2013.
The Director, Airworthiness Standards, NCAA, Mr.
Benedict Adeyileka, explained that while the aircraft
was still operating illegally, it had been sighted in
several places, including Owerri and Akure.
The NCAA also stated that the grounding of the
aircraft had nothing to do with the President.
Ndubuoke said, "The media always say that
government grounded the aircraft because of issues
with Amaechi. Reports have it that it was because
the President and Amaechi are having problems,
and that that was what may have led to the
grounding of the aircraft.
"But I don't know how the President will come from
Aso Rock and say ground this airplane. In fact, I
don't how that will happen and I wonder why he will
do that in the first place. So what we are trying to say
that it is not true."
Contacted, the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Mr.
David Iyofor, said he would not react to speculations
about the state government's aircraft.
"I have no comment on the issue because I cannot
react to speculations," he stated.
However, the Rivers State Commissioner for
Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari, in a statement on Friday faulted claims
by the Ministry of Aviation that the aircraft was
flown into Nigeria with forged documents.
The statement reads in part, "No aircraft can fly into
Nigerian airspace illegally and land at various
airports within the country unchallenged. The Rivers
State Government-owned aircraft has been in
operation since October 2012;
"The allegation that a state government would use
the name of Caverton Helicopters to obtain various
clearances is preposterous and embarrassing;
"The claim that the aircraft insured is owned by
Acass Canada Limited of 6700 Cote de Liesse, Suite
206,Montreal, QC H4T 2B5, Canada is a deliberate
distortion of facts. An insurance issued to Acass was
used for entry into service while flying between
Canada and the USA for pre-delivery tests. Rivers
State Government took delivery on 5th October, 2012
and duly insured the aircraft and the certificate of
insurance duly states this. Please note below:
"The Rivers State Government has been flying this
aircraft since October 2012 with this same certificate
and with the knowledge of the Ministry of Aviation.
The ownership of the aircraft is not in question as
we have clearly explained the relationship between
the Rivers State Government and the Bank of Utah.
"This is a verifiable relationship and is common
place in the aviation sector as practitioners and
stakeholders know. The Deed of Trust is proof that
the aircraft is held in trust by the Bank of Utah on
behalf of the Rivers State Government.
"We believe that all administrative procedures
should and must be complied with. However, the
state government is worried at what is beginning to
seem like a witch-hunt of it and related parties that
have conducted business with it. We will continue to
engage with aviation officials and follow through
with all administrative requirements and processes
as is most appropriate."
Also, the Majority Leader in the Rivers State House
Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, explained on Thursday
that the current administration traded off two
aircraft it met on the ground because they were not
durable.
Lloyd added that the state house of assembly
approved the purchase of the aircraft based on the
durability of the new one.
"When this state government came on board, it met
two aircraft on ground. It also discovered that the
two planes were not durable. Even the
manufacturing company said that particular type
had been phased out.
"The current administration decided to trade off the
two planes and bought a more durable aircraft
currently being used. The aircraft had been on the
ground for almost a year, why is it being talked
about now?" Lloyd wondered.

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