The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has dispelled the claim that the ministry is planning to move a firefighting simulator out of the Nigerian College of Technology, Zaria to Lagos State.

The minister in a statement by his special adviser on media and communication, Tunde Moshood, on Monday described the claim as handiwork of mischief makers.

Daily Trust reports that the alleged move was greeted with reactions as the Northern Elders Forum in a statement by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, cautioned against it on Sunday, and described the development as worrisome.

But Keyamo debunked the claim in the statement.

It read, “The attention of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has been drawn to a video making the rounds of a motion moved on the floor of the House of Representatives by a Honourable member making reference to an unsubstantiated plan by the ministry to move a firefighting simulator out of the Nigerian College of Technology, Zaria to Lagos State and urging the House to restrain the move.

“The rumour is nothing but pure mischief by agents of destabilisation and is totally untrue. Whist we acknowledge the patriotism of the House entertaining the motion, we think it was totally unnecessary since the Speaker already had a private audience with the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development few days ago when this issue came up and the minister assured Mr. Speaker that there was no iota of truth in the rumour.

“The minister further put a call to the rector of the school who re-assured Mr. Speaker that it was an unfounded rumour and purely a mischief. So, why the motion?

“We urge the public to disregard any such rumour and it amounts to grandstanding by anyone still trying to make political gains out of nothing.” (Daily Trust)

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