Amaechi and Controversies over Grounded Plane

The PDP chairman of the Rivers state chapter gave Gov. Amaechi 48 hours to explain the controversy surrounding the state owned jet that was allegedly registered under a private name.

 

On Friday, Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who is in a political tussle with President Jonathan over the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) which Amaechi chairs and Jonathan covets, was temporarily prevented from leaving the Akure Airport in the aircraft, by which he had flown in hours earlier.

 

NCAA on Saturday announced a ban on the aircraft from flying in Nigeria’s airspace, Acting Director General Benedict Adeyinka saying its clearance certificate has ‘expired.’

 

He said, “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 is that it is not true.

 

“If the pilot or those who got the approval didn’t tell them the dates of expiration, that is their own case to handle.”

 

But the Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers state governor, Mr. David Iyofor, had argued that the pilot of the plane had filed his flight plan and declared his manifest, but was told to see the controller by the airspace agency.

 

Also, the Rivers State Government on Sunday denied flouting any aviation regulations, adding that the documentation for the aircraft was in place.

 

The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said the state government had complied with the norms regulating aviation business in Nigeria.