Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole on
Saturday, in Benin, described the grounding of his chartered helicopter
by the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority as sinister.
Besides, he said a panel should be set up to look at the circumstances surrounding NAMA’s action.
Oshiomhole, who spoke with one of our
correspondents, through his Special Adviser (Media), Kassim Afegbua,
said the agency’s action was wrong and its explanation untenable.
He said, “They (NAMA) are wrong.
Helicopters don’t run like normal airline operations. What if the
helicopter had gone to Iyamho to pick the governor? There is more than
they are saying; to stop an aircraft that was already airborne was
sinister, even when the governor tried to intervene, they ignored him.
That was crass of them. The governor called the NAMA man and he said he
would ground the helicopter.
“Apart from us demanding an apology, we
demand an inquiry into the immediate and remote cause of this
embarrassment to the Edo State Governor. It is not all about reform,
reform must follow rules.”
Also, the state Commissioner for Information, Louis Odion, said the conduct of NAMA’s officials left much to desire.
He said if a governor could be treated as such, there was no hope for the ordinary Nigerian.
Odion said, “That is the point
Oshiomhole is drawing people’s attention to. I think the challenge
before NAMA is to re-orientate its officials on the virtues of civility
even in carrying out rules and regulations. They are public servants,
not masters of the public.”
Meanwhile, NAMA has denied grounding the helicopter billed to convey the governor to Awka on Friday.
NAMA said claims by the governor’s aides that its officials grounded the helicopter were false.
The agency’s Public Affairs Manager,
Mr. Supo Atobatele, who represented the Managing Director, Mr. Nnamdi
Udoh, at a briefing in Lagos on Saturday, said the pilot of the aborted
flight should take responsibility for failing to follow the proper
procedure of filing the flight plan and passenger manifest as prescribed
by law.
According to him, the agency discharged
its duties professionally by ensuring that the AOS helicopter pilot
filed his flight plan before lifting from Benin Airport to Awka.
Udoh said safety and security related
issues raised by NAMA personnel in respect of flight plan and passenger
manifest had no political undertones but that it was purely an aviation
matter bothering on rules and regulations.
He stressed that the agency, as a matter
of rules, needed to know where the aircraft was going and how many
people were on board.
He said, “NAMA by statue is covered to
demand for the flight plan which the pilot or his employer failed to
comply with. This is a global acceptable procedure for a pilot to do
before getting a start up.
“When this is not done, there will be
delay while perfecting your documents at the point of departure. It was a
minor issue that should not be given any political coloration as being
portrayed now. NAMA is never political in discharging her duties.”
Udoh said the agency was safety driven,
adding that safety does not respect status as what was applicable to
ordinary citizen was also applicable to VIPs.
He said, “The General Manager ATC
operations, John Oyegiri, was emphatic when he said it was the pilot
that grounded himself by not doing the right thing at the right time.”
Speaking on the development, the
Co-coordinating General Manager, Aviation parastatals on Communications,
Mr. Yakubu Dati, said the President’s pilot do file flight plans,
stressing that there was no reason why charter operators would want to
circumvent the rules.
He said the delay had no political
undertone, and that when the pilot eventually complied with the
procedure, the governor decided not to travel again and the helicopter
thereafter returned to base in Lagos.
The Director of Electronics and
Engineering Services, NAMA, Mr. Ifeanyi Nwankwo, explained that the
helicopter was not airborne before the call by the air traffic
controllers for the pilot to file his flight plan.
He said the pilots and operators must do things right in line with international standard.
Reacting to the development, on
Saturday, National Youth Leader, Action Congress of Nigeria, Miriki
Ebikina, described the incident as worrisome.
Ebikina in his statement expressed
dismay at the development, saying it was unthinkable that the
authorities chose to enmesh itself in more crises, even when the country
was faced with serious challenges.
He said, “The grounding of Governor
Adams Oshiomhole’s chartered helicopter at the Benin Airport, 42 days
after a similar controversial incident was carried on the Rivers
Governor’s Bombardier jet, in Akure, was a political vendetta, vexatious
and provocative.
“It is more worrisome and disheartening
to note with total dismay that the Federal Government in the midst of
the security and insurgency challenges and political crisis engulfing
the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, can still be embracing more crisis.
“With this development, it is absurd and
more disturbing that state governors who are elected, are no longer
given the due respect and recognition in a democratic setting.”
On his part, ACN’s National
Vice-Chairman, South-South, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, said, “It was possible for
them to have paid whatever fee they needed to pay before or after the
journey, but it is surprising that they were allowed to take-off, only
to be called back when they were already airborne and thereafter delayed
them for hours.
“This is not the first time a chopper
will be coming to pick the governor, considering the terrain of parts of
the country, where you cannot easily access by road or by direct
flight, so I am surprised that this is happening now.”
However, the state Peoples Democratic
Party chairman, Mr. Dan Orbih, said it was wrong to say the Federal
Government was involved in the matter.
He said rather, Nigerians should commend the Ministry of Aviation for steps taking in recent times to ensure safer airspace.
He said, “The allegation is baseless and
unfounded. There are rules and regulations covering the operation of
aircraft. These rules are meant to be applied irrespective of whoever is
concerned. I am surprised that people are now trying to politicise
apparent flagrant disobedience of a Filipino pilot, who from the account
of NAMA, flouted its rules.
“In the interest of Nigerians who have
to travel, NAMA applied its rules. I don’t see any issue here, except
that it was Oshiomhole that was on board, and I want to use this
opportunity to commend the effort of the Minister of Aviation who is
doing everything to bring sanity to the industry. Her (Stella Oduah)
bold and courageous efforts are appreciated by Nigerians who are
interested in the safety of our airspace, in line with the
transformation agenda of Mr. President.
“I also want to state
that in a state where teachers are crying over non-payment of TSA, when
promotion in the service has stagnated over five years, it is a great
surprise that the governor has taken to the use of choppers to be
ferrying himself and others to places, when the people are groaning
under severe hardship.”
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There is nothing worrisome anywhere. People must learn to comply with rules and regulations before taking certain actions. VIPs must also comply or lead by example, not to politicise their ignorance and mistakes.
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