The Rivers State commissioner of information and communication, Ibim Semenitari, has been invited for questioning by the National Security Adviser (NSA).
Sources close to her said she proceeded to Abuja on Thursday to honour the invitation, which is said to be in connection with her releasing details of the purchase of the two security helicopters procured by the Rivers State government.
Many already see the invitation as part of the deepening crisis between the Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan in the run-in to the election of the next chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and uptake to 2015.
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Rivers State had acquired two Bell 412 special helicopters for $28.4 million but a section of the press came out saying the choppers were for 2015 election campaigns. As the state government was denying it, Semenitari explained that since the Federal Government paid $15 million out of the amount and gave waivers, the helicopters could not have been for mundane purposes.
The opposition came out next, saying the state ripped off the Federal Government in the pricing, saying they googled and found that Bell helicopters were advertised for $6.7 million. This prompted the information boss to release the purchase agreement and invoice papers giving out details. This showed that the office of the NSA handled the transmission of money for the Federal Government.
It was at this point that the office of the NSA issued invitation to the spokesperson of the Amaechi administration.
