Governor Rotimi Amaechi
The aircraft of Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was Friday delayed for "about two hours" at the Akure Airport, Ondo State, for what the governor's aides termed "unclear reasons". The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Amaechi were said to have flown in the latter's aircraft to the Akure Airport early in the day to attend the burial of the late deputy governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka in Ado Ekiti.
Sources said when they returned to the airport on the way to Abuja and Port Harcourt, respectively at around 6.00pm, Amaechi’s aircraft was surprisingly refused clearance to fly out by the airport’s authorities while Tambuwal’s aircraft which had conveyed his aides got clearance.
The sources added that the Speaker insisted that he would not leave the airport until Amaechi’s aircraft was cleared to fly out.
Tambuwal was said to have spent several minutes making frantic phone calls to top officials of the Ministry of Aviation with a view to resolving the problem while Amaechi was invited into his own aircraft.
Another source added: “When there was no positive response, the Speaker offered to fly Amaechi to Port Harcourt. Just about five minutes after they left, Amaechi’s aircraft with his aides was suddenly given clearance to fly out.”
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to Amaechi, David Iyofor, who was also on the trip said the experience was traumatic. “We were just there standing at the airport for almost two hours without any concrete reason for the delay. Our pilot fulfilled all the requirements for landing and take-off. They obviously made up this story that we did not meet some requirements.”
But the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency's public affairs general manager, Mr. Supo Atobatele has denounced insinuation that the delay was fuelled by an ulterior motive.
"Akure Airport closes at sunset because it is a daylight airport," he said, adding that when Tambuwal's aircraft arrived, he called NAMA headquarters and informed them he was in Akure for a burial and that his flight would leave by sunset.
"In accordance with regulation, his pilot filed his flight plan and the manifest of the flight. But Amaechi's flight neither filed a flight plan nor declared a manifest. They arrived at about 3.30pm, after attending another burial in Owerri."
Atobatele said that after the helicopter crash in Bayelsa State that killed Mr. Patrick Yakowa, who was Kaduna State governor, and former National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi, NAMA issued a notice that private jet owners are now required to declare a manifest before their aircraft would be cleared to fly. "It took Amaechi's pilot 20 minutes to file the plan and manifest," he said.
"So he failed to follow operational procedure on safety and security. It is a standard procedure across the world. The argument about being delayed for two hours is not true because the aircraft must have left the airport before 7.00pm because Akure does not have airfield lighting."
It has also emerged that the May 2013 election to elect the next chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum is going to be a straight contest between Amaechi, the incumbent chairman and his counterpart from Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema.
The impending NGF election has polarized the 36 states governors into two camps - pro-Amaechi and pro-Presidency camps.
According to minutes of the PDP’s Governors Forum’s meeting held at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja on March 11, the governors agreed that since they were sharply divided on the issue of consensus, “then the two men (Amaechi and Shema) shall stand for the chairmanship election of the NGF.”
This, sources said explained why the last meeting of the PDP Governors held in Abuja on Wednesday deliberately refused to discuss any issues relating to the NGF election.
“Opinions were generally divided on the issue of choosing a consensus candidate for the chairmanship of the NGF. After exhaustive consultation and deliberation, members did not agree on a consensus candidate. However two candidates finally emerged for the chairmanship of the NGF as follows: RotimiAmaechi, Governor of Rivers State and Dr. Ibrahim Shema, Governor of Katsina State," the minutes read. The minutes of the March 11 meeting was signed by 16 governors, seven deputy governors who represented their governors and the acting governor of TarabaState.
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