THE Ministry of Aviation said Thursday that it would follow the law to the letter in resolving the controversies emanating since the grounding in Akure last week of Rivers State government’s aircraft by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Consequently, the ministry has directed the NCAA to commence full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged false clearance applications of the aircraft.
Meanwhile, public sympathy is swelling for Amaechi against the Federal Government on the issue, with a coalition of civil society organisations yesterday joining to criticise the recent grounding of the aircraft and consequent developments.
The coalition, in a petition to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, described the grounding of the aircraft as political and urged the National Assembly to investigate the actions of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and NCAA to ascertain whether the clearance approval for the aircraft expired as claimed by the agencies.
It was signed by the Executive Director, African Network for Environmental and Economic Justice, David Ugolor; National Co-ordinator of Ogoni Solidarity Forum, Celestine Akpobari; Founder of League of Awareness, Makelemi Erhuvwuvotu; and a member of End Impunity Campaign, Bernard Onorokakpene Oyabevwe.
Ugolor alleged that the recent crisis within the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the aircraft issue and the suspension of members of the Rivers House of Assembly, believed to be Amaechi’s supporters, were dictatorial moves by the Presidency in the build-up to 2015 presidential election.
In a similar note, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged Amaechi not to be distracted by the political uproar in his state, rather, to focus on delivering on his electoral promises to the people through transparency and good governance.
Speaking yesterday during their solidarity protest to the Government House, Port Harcourt, the outgoing President of the National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS), Mr. Warmete Awoloye, warned that they would neither condone injustice against the Amaechi-led administration, nor allow detractors working against his developmental strides.
The students warned that the situation could lead to doom if not urgently controlled.
However, spokesman for the Minister of Aviation, Joe Obi, said in a statement yesterday that the flight clearance process was a vital safety and security component of civil aviation worldwide.
According to him, it requires the involvement of both the civil aviation authorities and national security agencies for approval, and full disclosure of the aircraft, passengers and crew must be provided as required by law.
“The security implication of this requirement is further emphasised where a foreign-registered aircraft (such as the current aircraft) is engaged in domestic flight operations,” he noted.
Obi alleged that false information or forged documentation in the processing of official approvals or permits was a serious violation of the Civil Aviation Act, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and other extant criminal laws in Nigeria.
He further maintained that the Bombardier aircraft with Registration Number N565RS was currently listed on the U.S. Department of Transport (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration Registry, and the registration was issued to “Bank of Utah Trustee” of 200 E, South Temple, Suite 210, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1346.
He added that it was registered on September 28, 2012, to expire on September 30, 2015, and “the registration certificate explicitly states that the aircraft registration is not transferable.”
According to him, ‘the Certificate of Insurance is dated September 28, 2012 to expire on August 12, 2013, and it appears to have been issued with respect to a ‘Ferry Flight Agreement’ of September 2012. On April 26, 2013, the said aircraft was refused start-up at Akure airport due to insufficient and improper documentation.
“Specifically, the pilot failed and/or refused to file a proper passenger manifest declaring the full identity of all passengers on the aircraft for the intended flight as mandatorily required by the regulatory authorities.
“Upon review of the aircraft’s records, the NCAA discovered that it was operating illegally within the Nigerian airspace. Specifically, the aircraft did not have a valid flight clearance for its operations on April 26, 2013, as the last purported clearance obtained for it expired on April 2, 2013.”
He disclosed that the last purported flight clearance (and indeed several flight clearances previously obtained for this aircraft) were obtained using the name of Caverton Helicopters, while a letter from Messrs Caverton Helicopters dated April 26, 2013 expressly disclaimed knowledge of or involvement with the flight clearances previously obtained in its name for the said aircraft.
“There is also the matter of the Coat of Arms and identity of the Government of Rivers State emblazoned and displayed on the aircraft, when there is no record or evidence of the state government’s ownership, lease or other recognised legal or beneficial interest in the aircraft presented to or filed before the civil regulatory authorities,” he alleged.