By Our reporter
Reason has been given why Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno is flying Ibom Air aircraft, instead of the state government-owned aircraft handed over to him by his predecessor, Straightnews online has gathered.
The Ibom Air launched on June 7, 2019 currently with seven aircraft in its fleet is used for commercial purposes, though its ownership was controverted by Obong Akan Udofia, the Akwa Ibom APC Governorship candidate during the last election.
Before now, rumour mill was rife that the state government-owned Bombardier Global 5000 with registration number N224BH might have been ‘‘commandeered’’ by ex-governor Udom Emmanuel owing to the fact that the jet has ‘‘temporarily’’ disappeared from Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo.
The 12-seater Gulfstream jet manufactured in 2011 was purchased by the former governor Godswill Akpabio at $45 million in 2012 and handed over to the immediate past Governor Emmanuel in May 2015.
Governor, Wife React
During the weekend, Governor Eno allegedly justified his recent patronage of Ibom Air, for official engagements outside the state, on the basis of promoting the brand with a view to offering him more insights into the operations of the airline.
Governor Eno, reacting to the allegation in an interview with Government House correspondents, stated that he has chosen to use Ibom Air to demystify governance, asking the people to leave his predecessor alone.
He dismissed insinuations that the immediate past Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, is with the official Governor’s jet as being speculated in some quarters, urging Akwa Ibom people to desist from maliciously induced and baseless allegations that serve no good intent and purpose.
The governor explained that his position as Governor of the State, has made him the chief marketing officer of the airline fully owned by the State, stressing that his decision to travel on board IbomAir was to observe the airline’s standard in service delivery, which he described as spectacular and world- class thereby justifying the reason the airline is the most preferred by air travelers in the nation.
Eno wondered what the people would say when he would travel in the soon-to be launched palliative buses that would be introduced to cushion the harsh effects of fuel subsidy removal and asked if the people will turn around to insinuate that the immediate past governor has taken over his official vehicles?
“We are promoting Akwa Ibom brand and the state owns hundred percent shares in this airline and by virtue of my office, i am the chief marketing officer of the airline if you may ask. My job is to promote our brand.
“There is no truth whatsoever that the immediate past Governor is with our aircraft. This is not just the kind of things we should be talking or arguing about. Akwa Ibom should move beyond this sort of cheap talk.
“Again, I want to put it very clear that everyone has his style of leadership. My own style is to demystify governance. I like to get in contact with people, and I like to be myself. This Government thing will come and go. So what is the big deal?” the State Chief Executive said.
Reacting too, Patience, wife of Governor Eno, who returned from ‘official assignment’ in USA added voice to the airline thus, ‘‘We have to patronize our own, encourage our own,. It was good that I flew IbomAir. The captain, the cabin crew were good.’’
During the weekend, a close source in Government House, Uyo in a telephone interview told our reporter that the aircraft was parked at Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) wing of Victor Attah International Airport, but our later finding contradicted the report.
Flipside of the ‘missing’ aircraft
However, findings by Straightnews revealed the flipside of the ‘‘missing’’ state government-owned jet solely flown by two past governors for over 12 years.
‘‘The aircraft had some technical problems. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities (NCAA), the body regulating aviation industry and certifying airworthiness of aircraft, ordered the grounding of the aging Akwa Ibom aircraft.
‘‘Moreover, the registration papers of the jet had expired and needed to be renewed. Based on these, NCAA grounded the jet to avoid any unforeseen incident.
‘‘However, the jet is parked in a secluded hangar in Lagos has been repaired. Soon, it will be flown abroad for C-checks before it would be handed over to the government,’’ one insider source told Straightnews online.
Another source confided in Straightnews online that ‘‘The possibility of selling the aircraft is rife owing to the fact that it is aging. Already, some government officials are said to be sourcing for a buyer. Bristol has been contacted.’’
However, the insider was sad with what looks shady in the purported plan to dispose of the aircraft without due process.
According to him, ‘‘Why can’t the government openly advertise for sale of the aircraft and peg price to any interested person or company instead of sourcing for a buyer clandestinely. By this, the Akwa Ibom people would know the cost price of the aircraft and will ask government to render account once it is sold.
‘‘From the way it looks, it appears as the government has hidden agenda. Once the sale is not advertised, the buying cost may not be known. It could be sold at any amount and the government may not render proper account to the people.
‘‘As it is, the government may insert an amount to purchase a new aircraft in this year’s Supplementary budget and send to state House of Assembly for approval. Why can’t the government tell the public where the aircraft is kept instead of beating about the bush to hook wink and divert attention of the public.
‘‘I am not comfortable with the way this government is going about the aircraft ‘‘disappearance. I hope the Governor Eno administration will not follow the footsteps of his predecessor in making public account translucent,’’ the source told our reporter.
How much Govt spent in 2019 alone
Akwa Ibom State government was alleged to have spent whopping N5.4 billion in 2019 on the maintenance of the one state-owned aircraft strictly meant for the use of the governor, Emmanuel Udom and members of his family, investigation by The ICIR showed.
Though the State House of Assembly approved N2.5 billion for that purpose, the office of the Secretary of the State Government (SSG) spent N5.04 billion.
Liberty Jet, a New York-based airline operator said the annual cost of flying and maintaining a Bombardier Global 5000 for 400 hours a year is approximately $2,272,015 which is only N693.88 million, at the exchange rate of N305/$1 in 2019.
Further finding showed that the governor flew to more than 20 foreign countries and might have spent more than N300,000 billion on the running of the aircraft in his eight-year reign.
For instance, such costs as crew salaries and allowances (three pilots, flight engineer and flight attendants); insurance premiums; parking fees, fueling, depreciation, monthly maintenance and the twice-yearly C-checks consumed much.
In addition, the costs of maintenance and C-checks denominated in dollars gulped a lot every year as the aircraft gets older gulped a lot of money.
Another aviation cost company called Aircraft Cost Calculator said the cost of flying and maintaining a Bombardier Global 5000 is $2,525,902 which is equivalent to N770.4 million at 450 hours per year.
Further findings revealed that a firm based in Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa named Continued Airworthiness Maintenance Organisation (CAMOSA), was in charge of the maintenance.
