The determination of Rivers State governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi to occupy the Presidential Mansion (State House) Abuja come 2015 is daily gathering momentum, going by facts made available exclusively to Nigerian Pilot yesterday.
Sources close to the youthful chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum revealed that in the last four months the governor has acquired four aircrafts, (two armoured helicopters and 2 private jets) ostensibly for the purposes of easing logistics for political campaigns expected to kick off next year going by current INEC guidelines. These acquisitions in addition to existing structures are said to be causing ripples in official circles as the aircrafts were alleged not to have been approved by relevant authorities including the state legislature.
The source further revealed tha
t despite the assurances Amaechi gave to the chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, when Anenih visited Port Harcourt last weekend, Amaechi had concluded plans to ditch the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for an opposition party under whose platform he intends to contest the 2015 presidency. He is also said to be wooing some South East state governors to whom he had pledged financial assistance of about N2billion each.
Of recent, the governor has been a regular feature in the news for reasons of his alleged differences with his party. According to information obtained by Nigerian Pilot, Amaechi’s bitterness with the PDP predates current happenings. Before the furore over the threat to his chairmanship of the NGF began, he had allegedly acquired bullet proof helicopters and some Gulf Stream private jets.
One source close to the embattled governor revealed that, “it is all for his 2015 campaign when he joins a northern governor to run for the presidency.” Experts in aviation matters confirmed to Nigerian Pilot last night that while one armoured helicopter sells for about $18million, the Gulf Stream costs $10milion each.
A few top Rivers State government officials spoken to on phone last night expressed shock at the development, with one of them, a senior official in the state ministry of finance, wondering if the governor got any legislative approval before he embarked on the purchase.
“That amounts to flagrant abuse of due process. If the amount, a princely $56million; that is about N9billion was not budgeted for and neither the eventual expense approved by the state assembly, then our people will have to ask the governor and the lawmakers what is really happening,” said the government house official.
Meanwhile, investigations revealed that the aircrafts have been denied registration by the Federal Ministry of Aviation based on what a ministry official gave as “security concerns”. The aviation official, a director, told Nigerian Pilot that the process of registering aircrafts is not an easy one, as the aircraft must pass through all due processes, including certification. “We need to know the owners, source of wealth, costs and purpose of its intended usage among others before we can get to that stage,” he said; adding that, “it may be the reason why you are not seeing the aircrafts flying around now.” In the case of the Amaechi aircrafts, the official said they need security clearance in view of the nature of the aircrafts. “These are not ordinary aircrafts. They are armoured, that is bullet proof. The process of approval is more complex. It is like when you import bullet proof vehicles”.
Besides, the official said even when aircrafts have all the available information, and found to be legitimately acquired, there are established processes that must be followed to get them registered.
Stressing that Amaechi’s bid to run as a vice presidential candidate to an unnamed northern governor in 2015 is not in doubt, the source close to the governor revealed that they have secured the assurances of three PDP governors from the south-east to decamp with Amaechi to an opposition party before the “critical time of the coming election.”
Still on the 2015 plot by Amaechi, it was further learnt that after a recent meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan in the presence of some ministers and party officials, Amaechi expressed his thoughts aloud when he asked nobody in particular, “what does the president think he is? I will go ahead with my heart.”
He was said to have later confided in an aide of his that with the support promised him by the three south east governors, his joint ticket with the northern governor will land them in Aso Rock come 2015.
Details of his agreement with the said governors dug up by Nigerian Pilot show that Amaechi’s planned exit from PDP will be simultaneous with that of the southeast governors, each of whom was said to have been promised N2billion monthly so long as they remain on his side. However, efforts to confirm the story from either Governor Amaechi or his media aides were unsuccessful as calls to their telephone lines were not picked as at press time.
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