Pilots’ arrest: Wike, police exhibited dangerous ignorance-Sirika

• Vow to set them free, ART kick

Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika has vowed that the Federal Government would get the two pilots of Caverton Helicopters arrested by Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesome Wike released as soon as possible.

This is coming as he described the action of Rivers State Governor, and the Police that effected the arrest of the duo as ‘dangerous ignorance’ that has no place in the regulation of civil aviation.

Two Caverton pilots, who were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly violating an order by the Rivers State Government on closure of all borders including the airspace, were remanded in prison custody for flying in expatriate client into the state.

The two pilots identified as Samuel Urgoji and Samuel Buhari, were arraigned in a Chief Magistrate Court on 4 count charge which bordered on disobeying the Executive Order issued by the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike aimed at checking the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The Minister while speaking in Abuja yesterday said the pilots had approval to carry out the operation for which they were arrested and detained at the Port-Harcourt correctional centre.

Disclosing that aviation is the third item on the Exclusive List, a visibly angry Sirika said, “The Police that followed the governor to effect arrest of the pilots exhibited dangerous ignorance from our perspective in civil aviation”.

“There is no other person that has the legal right to jump into the property of Federal Government other than the Federal Government. The officer  jumped over the  Commander  in Chief, jumped the Chief of Defence Staff, the chief of Air Staff and ignored only to call a governor to come into the property of the Federal Government to make an arrest has exhibited dangerous ignorance and incompetence grossly”.

The Minister said special flight permission granted by the President were done in national interest, saying the flights were for the purposes of improving national revenue of which Rivers State is the greatest beneficiary.

“Flights by Bristow, Caverton, Arik are for national interest to boost national revenue at a time oil has gone below $30 and the cost of production is $30. It was in the wisdom of our President, President Mohammadu Buhari that these are allowed even in this pandemic because the nation total revenue will not be lost”.

“It is against this background that we have the authority and this is exclusively on exclusive list and we have the powers in civil aviation, guided by the 2006 Civil aviation regulation approved such flights . They were approved legally, lawfully and they were correct. We will do everything lawful and legal and reasonable to get those pilots back and the operation will continue”, he added.

Meanwhile, Aviation Safety Round Table (ARST) has kicked against what it termed unlawful detention of the pilots.

The group also condemned the purported sham  prosecution and trial orchestrated by the Rivers State Government at a time when courts have been placed on lockdown by the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Spokesman for the group, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo said while they noted and acknowledged the deadly nature of the Coronavirus currently ravaging the global community and the need for all hands to be on deck in the fight to contain its spread, they condemn in totality, the flagrant disregard of the authorisation, approvals including exemption granted  Caverton Helicopters and other operators of essential services by the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

Ohunayo stated that the actions are capable of leading to a situation of anarchy which the nation cannot afford at these challenging times.

ART equally urged the federal authorities to guard against possible abuse of the exemptions and approvals of flights in order not to erode the efficacy of the efforts of those charged with the containment of the spread of COVD -19 and the violation of the lockdown imposed in their various areas of responsibility.

“We therefore demand an immediate unconditional release from custody of the two Caverton Helicopters Pilots namely:  Capts Samuel Ugorji and Samuel Buhari and a withdrawal of the  charges preferred against them without further delay”.

Wole Shadare