Reacting to reports that the Presidency was in the know as touching the ban of the Rivers government aircraft last Friday, the government through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, stated that such stories were mere speculation. The General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, said the aircraft was not supposed to be in Nigeria, stressing that the Rivers State Government was aware of this fact.



“The controversial aircraft on the service of Governor Rotimi Amaechi is operating illegally in the country. The clearance approval of the Bombardier BD700 Global Express, with registration number N565RS, expired since April 2, 2013.

“By our records, the last flight clearance for this aircraft was approved for operations on March 28, 2013 on Accra/Port Harcourt and Accra 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.

“Consequently, this aircraft in reference is hereby grounded at any airport that is located right now in the country.

“The owner of this aircraft, according to the certificate of registration, is Bank of Utah Trustees of Salt Lake City Utah United States of America.”

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.

“It is indeed most shameful and ludicrous that NAMA and the aviation authorities are now saying that they grounded the Rivers State government’s plane because the pilot did not file a flight plan and declare a manifest.

“That’s a blatant lie. The pilot filed the flight plan and manifest, and paid all the statutory airport fees and charges shortly after the plane arrived at the Akure Airport in the afternoon.

“If the pilot filed a flight plan and manifest at the airports in Abuja and Owerri, where he flew from same day, why won’t he then do the same in Akure?

“It is instructive to note that all through the traumatic time we spent in Akure, no official of the airport or aviation staff came to tell Governor Amaechi that we were grounded because our pilot refused to file a flight plan and manifest.

“All they kept saying was that they were just obeying directives; it was beyond them and we should call Abuja. The Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, and the other four members of the House of Representatives are living witnesses to that charade,” Iyofor said.

"We have applied formally to the honourable Minister of Aviation for the import licence. That application was received in her office in September 2012. So, we believe that all of the procedures, we have complied as best as we know."