The Federal Government on Saturday intensified its attack on the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, with the National Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, banning the Rivers State-owned bombardier aircraft from flying in Nigeria’s airspace again.

Mr. Amaechi has been having a running battle with the presidency over his stance on major national issues and his plane was on Friday temporarily prevented from leaving the Akure Airport. A spokesperson for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, later told PREMIUM TIMES the plane was blocked from taking off because the pilot failed to declare the flight manifest.

But at a press conference in Lagos Saturday, Benedict Adeyinka, NCAA’s director of airworthiness and standards, announced the suspension of the plane from Nigeria’s airspace, saying its clearance certificate had since expired.

“The controversial aircraft on the service of Governor Rotimi Amaechi is operating illegally in the country” Mr Adeyinka said. “The aircraft, a bombardier –BD700, global express with registration no N565 RS has its clearance approval expired since Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013.”

He continued, “By our records, the last flight clearance for this aircraft was approved for operation on Thursday, March 28, 2013 on Accra-PH –Accra and to terminate on April 2, 2013. With this development, the aircraft has exceeded the extra two days or 48 hours leeway for it to leave the country.”

The NCAA official further noted that “while still operating illegally, the aircraft has been sighted in several places including Owerri and Akure.”

“The owner of this aircraft according to the certificate of registration is Bank of Utah, trustee of Salt Lake City, Utah USA. The clearance for the aircraft was sought by Caverton Helicopters on March 27, 2013. Consequently, this aircraft in reference is hereby grounded at any airport that is located right now in the country.”

The presidency and the top brass of the Peoples Democratic Party had of late become uncomfortable with Mr. Amaechi who is believed to be leading a massive opposition against Chairman Bamanga Tukur and President Goodluck Jonathan. He is also accused of using his post to strategically position himself as vice-presidential candidate of the party in the coming presidential election.

In late February, the ruling party formed the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, in what analysts see as a last gasp effort by Mr. Jonathan and Mr. Tukur to dilute the perceived growing political influence of Mr. Amaechi, who was elected chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum in June 2011 for an initial two-year term.

NGpatriot:
The same plane Wike and GEJ grounded in 2013 is the same plane Wike claimed was hiden and spent 3 million euros to locate and repair in Germany.

Wike is not only a lying clown, he's also a poor and armature liar and a crook.

He knew about the plane, he just came up with a scheme missing plane just to loot..

Yureyes:
First, Wike wasn’t “the minister” of Aviation. In short he was a junior minister of education at the time.

Secondly, the plane you are referring to was allowed to fly out of Akure after efforts from the then house of reps speaker, Aminu Tambuwal to resolve the issue.

Admittedly, this act was to frustrate Amaechi because he had issues with GEJ but this is not the reason they abandoned a plane in Germany.

Lastly, Rivers had two state airplanes. Amaechi’s administration left one in Germany in 2012 because they didn’t see any sense running 2 airplanes at the same time. It was the second plane that was active in 2013 that GEJ’s federal government banned.

They are two different airplanes. But hey, you must push your propaganda so you can eat, else you won’t get paid.

Odin13:
Yoruba people...

Heard the planes are different...

Tomorrow now ... another thread go come shame una .. una still go quietly disappear from the thread .

Yoruba no be today...

Nbotee:


Some of U can't look and see beyond ur noses becos most of U don't ready at all but would rather quickly react like chemicals.
-A legacy 600 airplane and a bombardier are clearly different aircrafts..
-At what time was Wike minister of Aviation? Or in charge of the NCAA??

Buckeyemedia1:
Amaechi left one aircraft in Germany you say, so it took Wike 7 years to discover that one of their private jets was not @ the hangar in Port Harcourt?

Nonsense, wike number one Chief Propaganda man, you can’t just leave a plane parked @ an airport in Munich, you pay everyday for it, who has been paying from 2015 till date?

Nbotee:


Some of U can't look and see beyond ur noses. At what time was Wike minister of Aviation? Or in charge of the NCAA??

NGpatriot:



So, Wike who was fighting Amaechi in Rivers and using Jona to do his dirty work against amaechi from grounding jet to blocking the state house in Rivers did not know anything about Jona grounding the Jet belonging to his state because he was not the minister of aviation.?


Dude, please go and sit down because you are not making any sense.

Buckeyemedia1:
What are you trying to imply?

NGpatriot:



So, Wike who was fighting Amaechi in Rivers and using Jona to do his dirty work against amaechi from grounding jet to blocking the state house in Rivers did not know anything about Jona grounding the Jet belonging to his state because he was not the minister of aviation.?


Dude, please go and sit down because you are not making any sense.

NGpatriot:
The same plane Wike and GEJ grounded in 2013 is the same plane Wike claimed was hiden and spent 3 million euros to locate and repair in Germany.

Wike is not only a lying clown, he's also a poor and armature liar and a crook.

He knew about the plane, he just came up with a scheme missing plane just to loot..

Nbotee:


Obviously U not only have reading problems buy comprehension and visual problems are part of it.. Lemme scream it out to U in caps mayb U will understand beta
THESE ARE 2 DIFFERENT PLANES!!!

SarkinYarki:


This jet is different .. nothing political about the grounding

Buckeyemedia1:
Amaechi left one aircraft in Germany you say, so it took Wike 7 years to discover that one of their private jets was not @ the hangar in Port Harcourt?

Nonsense, wike number one Chief Propaganda man, you can’t just leave a plane parked @ an airport in Munich, you pay everyday for it, who has been paying from 2015 till date?

Yureyes:
First, Wike wasn’t “the minister” of Aviation. In short he was a junior minister of education at the time.

Secondly, the plane you are referring to was allowed to fly out of Akure after efforts from the then house of reps speaker, Aminu Tambuwal to resolve the issue.

Admittedly, this act was to frustrate Amaechi because he had issues with GEJ but this is not the reason they abandoned a plane in Germany.

Lastly, Rivers had two state airplanes. Amaechi’s administration left one in Germany in 2012 because they didn’t see any sense running 2 airplanes at the same time. It was the second plane that was active in 2013 that GEJ’s federal government banned.

They are two different airplanes. But hey, you must push your propaganda so you can eat, else you won’t get paid.

NGpatriot:



The fact that there are 2 different planes means Wike did not know that anything about the grounded and impounded plane, whichever one it was.?

The fact that there are 2 different planes, means Wike must waste huge taxpayers funds to ship his entire cabinet and errand boys to Germany to and spend 3 million euros on a relic and an ancient 20-year-old plane?


I really don't get your meandering, pointless and meaningless argument.