More knocks are coming on Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, as another group of stakeholders in the aviation industry in Nigeria condemned his involvement in illegal arrest, humiliation and detention in Port Harcourt, two pilots working for Caverton Helicopters
The new attack came from the most respected pressure group in the aviation industry in Nigeria, The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ART).
Apart from codemning the actions of the governor Wike and the security operatives involved in the inhuman treatments metted to the pilots, ART in unequivocal terms, said, “We also condemn 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”.
Acknowledging 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, ART however, stated that it condemned 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 (NCAA).
The group added, “These reckless 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.
The group also urged all aviation operators granted dispensation to carry out essential services to collaborate and support the efforts of their host state governments in the bid to contain the scourge of Coronavirus COVID-19.
It therefore demanded 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.
ART which believed that the positions highlighted above could help resolve the matter without prejudice to the rights of any of the parties concerned.
“We are also of view that notwithstanding the prevalent emergency, it was imperative for governors and other public officers to refrain from actions that are beyond their powers.”
It would be recalled that the body of Nigerian pilots and aircraft engineers National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) had issued similar condemnation on the actions of the governor, in a statement which demanded immediate and unconditional release of the arrested and detained pilots.
NAAPE president, Comrade Galadima Abednego in the statement threatened that failure of Wike to release the pilots may warrant a directive to every pilot local and International to boycott flight into Port Harcourt during and after the COVID-19 scourge.
