The Rivers State government has claimed ignorance of the ban on the state’s aircraft flying in the country, saying it would not give heed to media speculations on the issue in the face of its own compliance to regulatory procedures on the registration of the aircraft.
In its reaction yesterday, the Rivers State government in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, claimed ignorance of any action taken against the aircraft by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.
“As we speak, all I have is information that I have gleaned from the media. All we have as a government is that information.
“No formal communication has reached us in Rivers State. We believe that it would be best that we await formal communication from the regulatory agency.
“Just to say that all our documentations are in place. And to also say that as a responsible sub-national, we have complied with the norms that regulate aviation business in Nigeria.
“We have applied formally to the minister of aviation for the import license. That application was received in her office in Sept. 2012.
“So, we believe that all of the procedure, we have complied as best as we know.
“However, we do understand that the regulatory agencies are best equipped to tell us if they think there is any lapse and we will expect that the communication will come to us formally and not through the media,” she said.