Amaechi: Soyinka, ACN slam FG, Judiciary
NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has appealed to politicians in government to be wary of manipulating the justice system in order not to reduce society to anarchy.
Professor Soyinka who was responding to questions from journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday while attending the Garden City Literary Festival, the edition which is part of countdown to Port Harcourt’s year as the 2014 World Book Capital expressed sadness at the political development in the state.
“I think that the judiciary right now while it is trying to reform itself, recognizes the fact that there are still some dark areas and I think it is the effect of the dark areas that seems to be creating a crisis in Rivers State right now…. I am just alarmed. I am alarmed that a situation exists at all where it strikes me, it appears to me that the judiciary is being manipulated. That is the impression which I had and that is an alarm which should be sounded in every corner of the nation”, Prof. Soyinka said.
Soyinka also lashed out at pettiness in governance at any level, saying that it is not appropriate for any government in a democratic situation to pay attention to small and unimportant issues rather than the serious matters.
He said: “Witch-hunting is a very heavy word. Let me just say this generally that I hate evidence of pettiness in governance. I think pettiness at any level is unbecoming of any democratic situation. That is all I want to say about that. I see that I cannot escape all what is going on. I have also put some questions myself, I mean, obviously, I am a citizen of this nation, so I am affected personally by what is happening at the opposite end of the nation.
“Those who feel that any kind of transgression of the collective rights of groups will not affect, will not have a kind of ripple effect which will affect other parts of the nation must be living in a cloud… and so I am concerned, and I will be quite frank with you.
“I am very much concerned about the imbroglio in which the state (Rivers State) appears to be involved at the moment and my main comment is for heaven’s sake, whatever happens internally between parties and so on, please don’t debase and don’t manipulate the judiciary. That is my appeal to governance at all levels. Please do not manipulate the judiciary because when you do you have chaos, you have total anarchy, you reduce the nation to a space of complete breakdown of law and order which is what this nation had better avoid,” he said.
ACN condemns FG
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described the grounding of the Rivers State Government’s private aircraft by the aviation regulatory body, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as a glaring case of political witch-hunt, despite the tepid denial of all concerned.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the action also amounted to gross abuse of national institutions and a pointer to what laid ahead for all perceived enemies of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.
It said the worst part of the whole issue was the fact that a body like NCAA, which was supposed to carry out its all-important duties without political interference, but in accordance with stipulated global standards, had now become a tool in the hands of vindictive politicians.
“First, the plane was ostensibly grounded in Akure because the pilot did not declare the flight’s manifest to the appropriate authorities. Then it was said that the plane’s clearance certificate has expired, hence it was banned from flying in the Nigerian airspace. How low can a government sink just to get at a perceived enemy?
“The questions that arise, therefore, are: Has the clearance certificate for the plane really expired? When did it expire? Was this communicated to the Rivers State Government before the plane was grounded? If so, when, and if not, why not? In any case, would the NCAA have acted with so much alacrity if the plane had belonged to a State whose Governor has no political differences with President Jonathan?
“While the NCAA must be free to carry out its regulatory duties without hindrance, it must be careful not to be seen to be acting on the orders of politicians. If this is the new modus operandi of the NCAA, then the nation is in trouble, and must be ready to see the reversal of the positive strides recorded in the aviation sector in the past few years,’’ the party warned.
Rivers PDP issues ultimatum to Amaechi
The Rivers State branch of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given the state governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a 48-hour ultimatum to explain the status of the state owned aircraft, which had been grounded by an aviation agency to the people of the state.
He said the party’s decision to suspend the legislators was based on their failure to heed the party’s advice that they rescind the House’s verdict, which suspended the chairman and councillors of Obio/Akpor local government council last week.
On its decision to issue an ultimatum to the governor, Obuah said the controversy generated on the ownership and its operation had brought embarrassment on the party, adding that facts had revealed that the aircraft is owned by a bank in the United States of America, which raised issues of fraud in its purchase claims.
“The party therefore views with grave concern the unfolding facts surrounding the ownership of the purported aircraft and will not fold its hands and allow monumental fraud to be perpetrated in Rivers state. It is unacceptable and embarrassing to our great party that public funds are hopelessly mismanaged. As a result these questions must be answered by the Rivers state government;
“Where is the aircraft purportedly bought with Rivers state fund and tax payers money? Where have the billions of naira taken from the coffers of the Rivers state government gone to and for what purpose was it appropriated and where is it diverted?
“The government of Rivers state, led by Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi, owes a public explanation to the entire people of Rivers state and the PDP in particular as to the true owners of the Bombardier BD 700. They should also explain the identity and the role played by the Bank of Utah of the USA in the purchase of the aircraft and the identity of the owners of the said company to be unveiled”, Obuah said.
Pilot violated rules – NAMA
The management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) yesterday insisted that the pilot of the Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s controversial plane presently grounded for violating operating rules at Akure airport acted against international standard.
The development came even as the rumour filtered into the industry yesterday evening that aviation authorities have fined Governor Amaechi for allowing the aircraft to operate illegally in the country since its particulars expired.
In a statement issued yesterday evening by the General Manager, public affairs in NAMA, Supo Atobatele, the agency confirmed again that, it was mandatory for all non-scheduled operators (charter flights) to submit manifest before given clearance at departing airport.
According to NAMA; “The manifest must be submitted six hours before departure and this is well known to the operators in this category.
“This is in addition to other requirements like formal request or application on the basis of which a clearance number is given to the operator.
“Demanding for such details from the crew of Bombardier-700 Global Express last weekend at Akure Airport was in order.
“The pilot of the said aircraft marked N565RS failed to fill the passengers’ manifest form on time until he was given a waiver to put the names on NAMA’s signal form.”
When reached for comments Monday evening, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Amaechi, David Iyofor, said the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, had on Sunday given an accurate response on the matter.
Semenitari had during an interactive session with journalists said the report alleging that the aircraft was defaulting came to her through the media, but that the state government had done all it had to fulfill in the process of acquiring the plane.
