The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets has summoned Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo and his predecessor, Senator Hadi Sirika to explain the circumstances surrounding the sales of two Bell Helicopters belonging to Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria to private individuals despite interest shown by Nigerian Army, Navy and Police.

The Committee also summoned the Rector of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Joseph Shaka Imalighwe and his predecessor who allegedly authorised the sales of the two Bell 206 Helicopters 206 -L4 BZB and BZC -M2061 L4.

The Chairman, House Committee on Public Assets, Hon. (Barr.) Ademorin Kuye, said the invitation was in view of the circumstances surrounding the sales of the two helicopters when the college was left with no helicopter for training of students.

The Committee chairman said that apart from denying the Nigerian Army, Navy and Police the opportunity of purchasing the helicopters, the NCAT authorities in May 2023 sold the helicopters to two firms below 60% of the cost price.

Kuye said the committee could not hold an investigative hearing on the controversial sales of the two helicopters on the earlier scheduled date because of the moves by the anti-graft agency to arrest some individuals who are connected to the matter.

He said a day to the investigative hearing, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC arrested some of the personalities who were supposed to appear for the hearing. According to him, the committee had to postpone it till another date.

The Minister of Aviation and all those summoned are expected to appear for the investigative hearing on 25th June, 2024 at House of Representatives wing in National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

According Kuye, letters of invitation have been sent to the relevant persons and organisations in respect of the hearing.

The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria established to provide human resource development in the aviation industry in Africa.

NCAT is also expected to undertake training programmes to meet both national and international requirements but at the moment, the college is allegedly operating without a single helicopter.

Kuye had, in 2023 condemned the sale of two training helicopters by the College, saying Committee will investigate the alleged sale of the training helicopters by the college.

Kuye who headed the committee that investigated sales of public assets in the 9th Assembly said the attention of the committee was drawn to the development through media reports on the purported sale of 2 Bell 206L-3 helicopters which were public assets acquired for training pilots by the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria for about N1.2 billion.

He said “the sale of the Helicopters under the pretext of underutilization by the authorities of the College of Aviation in March 2023 has now become a symptom of the worrying trend of asset stripping in all sector of the economy by all MDAs toward the twilight of the last administration.

“This is despite the offer of Nigerian Navy to acquire same and possibly use them to address the security challenge facing the country in the area of oil pipeline vandalization and crude oil theft.

“The committee equally feels the assets could have been converted to the use of Nigerian Police to fight banditry and insurgency in the country.

“The urgency in the sales and concession of public assets at the twilight of the last administration calls for suspicion since the supposed approval was gotten from that administration, and it is only right that the new regime is allowed to be part of the completion of the sale process if there are no hidden agendas.

“Therefore, the House Committee on Public Assets as constituted will investigate the sale of these important training national assets to ensure that due process is followed and that the country is not short changed in this deal,” he added. (The Nation)

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