In the last few hours a news item has been making the rounds on social media, where it is being alleged the Senior Special assistant to the President on public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, linked the grounding of Governor Rotimi Amechi\u2019s private jet to politics between President Goodluck Jonathan and the Rivers Governor.<\/p>\n
The NCAA had last Saturday grounded the Governor\u2019s private jet due to what it called expired permit. NCAA Acting Director General, Joyce Nkemakolam, announced the grounding of the aircraft at a press conference in Lagos, clear 24 hours after Dr Okupe granted Vanguard Newspaper an interview.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the plane which\u00a0 she said was grounded\u00a0 for alleged non-declaration of manifest, Nkemakolam said: \u201cThe controversial aircraft on the service of Governor Rotimi Amaechi is operating illegally in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Continuing, she said: \u201cThe aircraft, a bombardier BD700, Global Express with registration no N565 RS has its clearance approval expired since Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 report which was published on nairaland an online blog, is false, malicious, misleading and baseless.
\nThe report mischievously used part of Okupe\u2019s remark in an interview granted Vanguard Newspaper to twist the facts and mislead the public.<\/p>\n
Vanguard had asked Dr Okupe \u201c What is the problem between President Jonathan and Governor Amechi of Rivers \u201c and\u00a0 he replied\u00a0 \u201c it is politics. The answer is politics. I can tell politics is at play\u201d<\/p>\n
We categorically state that nowhere did Dr Okupe make\u00a0 any comment about the grounding of Gov Amechi\u2019s aircraft by NCAA,\u00a0 because he would not have had an opinion on a matter which came up one day after he spoke with Vanguard.<\/p>\n
We must reiterate that President Jonathan is a statesman and distinguished Nigerian who would not descend so low as to mastermind such remotely or otherwise.<\/p>\n
Both President Jonathan and Gov Amechi are distinguished members of the party, and we are aware that efforts are on to resolve\u00a0 the matter between operators of the aircraft and the NCAA.<\/p>\n
President Jonathan is focused on the administration\u2019s transformation agenda and would not be distracted by such baseless insinuations and conjectures by mischief makers.<\/p>\n
Bamidele Salam
\nDirector Media
\nPublic Affairs Dept<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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