The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described the grounding ofthe Rivers State Government’s private aircraft by the regulatory Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as a glaring case of political witch-hunt, irrespective of the tepid denial of all concerned.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party described the action as amounting to gross abuse of national institutions, and a pointer to what lies ahead for all perceived enemies of the Jonathan administration.
It claimed that the worst part of the whole issue is the reality that a body like NCAA, which is supposed to prosecute its all-important duties without political interference but in accordance with stipulated global standards, has now become a tool in the hands of vindictive politicians. It rejected the inconsistent reasons given for grounding the plane, saying they have only exposed the shenanigans of those who feel they can easily pool the wool over the eyes of Nigerians.
“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 had expired, hence it was banned from flying in the Nigerian airspace. How low can a government sink just to get at a perceived enemy?” ACN queried.
“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 difference 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.”
ACN conceded that though the political crisis tearing the PDP apart and turning the president against his fellow party men is not the business of anyone outside the party, but it said it felt compelled to speak out when national institutions are now being dragged into what is essentially an ugly ego-fight.
The opposition further warned those who are in position of authority to realise that any abuse of national institutions in their quest to settle political scores could bring the house crashing down on all, including those behind such abuses.
