The political disagreement between Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi took a new dimension today as aviation agencies prevented the aircraft of the governor from leaving Akure Airport in Ondo State shortly after the governor and his aides returned from the burial of late deputy governor of Ekiti State, Olufunmilayo Olayinka.
SaharaReporters learnt that National Airspace management Authority operatives refused to give clearance to the governor's jet to take off leaving the governor and his aides stranded.
Source: Sahara Reporters
UPDATE: Why we stopped Amaechi’s plane - FAAN
Rivers State Plane
Nigerian
Aviation Authorities on Friday temporarily prevented the private plane
of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, from leaving the Akure
Airport.
Mr. Amaechi has been having a running
battle with the presidency over his stance on major national issues,
making observers believe the stoppage of his plane was influenced by the
presidency to slight him. He has in the past regularly used the airport
without any hitches.
The Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria, however, said it stopped Mr. Amaechi’s plane because the
governor failed to declare the flight manifest.
The spokesperson of FAAN, Yakubu Datti,
told PREMIUM TIMES that it was a laid down rule for any plane taking off
from the airport to provide its manifest.
“The governor went to Akure and when he
was ready to leave, he refused to declare his manifest and those at the
control tower did not permit him and his team to take off,” Mr. Datti
said
The spokesperson said there was no
politics behind the agency’s actions saying “these are rules that have
been stated down long time ago; even the president, before he takes off
declares his manifest.”
He said Mr. Amaechi, the chairman of the
Nigeria Governors Forum, was eventually allowed to take off immediately
he declared the flight manifest.
Source: Premium Times
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