Stella Oduah, minister of aviation, on Tuesday called for the prosecution of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State under the nation’s criminal laws as the recent grounding of his aircraft took an ugly twist.
Rivers State government Bombardier BD700 Global Express aircraft was grounded for two hours at the Akure airport, Ondo State, for allegedly violating aviation procedures.
At the ‘investigative hearing on the urgent need to investigate the justification and circumstances surrounding the controversial grounding on Friday, April 26, 2013’, of the aircraft, Oduah made a case for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate Amaechi.
In her presentation, Oduah accused the governor of violating the extant civil aviation regulations.
She specifically mentioned some sections of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) laws, including 1.2.1.5(a)(i)(2), 1.3.3, 4.2.1.1(a), 4.3.1.2(a)&(b) and 8.6.1.1.
“It is pertinent to draw the attention of the National Assembly to the following violations of the extant civil aviation regulations: using the name of Caverton Helicopters for flight clearance severally on the 4th to 6th January, 2013; 23rd to 27th January, 2013; and 28th March to 2nd April 2013, which Caverton Helicopters rebutted, thus violating section 1.2.1.5(a)(i)(2) of the NCAA Regulations on General Policies, Procedures and Definitions, S.I.14 of 2009, on falsification, reproduction or alteration of applications, licences, certificates, logbooks, reports or records. Failure to make available pilot records and check aircraft logs, flight manifest, weather, etc. in falsely using Caverton Helicopters, there are infraction of the Implementing Standards in Part I, Section 1.3.3 of the NCAA Regulations on General Policies, Procedures and Definitions, S.I.14 of 2009”.
