Mr. Akpabio paid the sum to the jet charter company owned in part by Kola Aluko. Mr. Aluko is known to be quite close to Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and has been described as one of a few fronts for the minister’s extensive money laundering schemes.
Mr. Aluko was also instrumental to the private jet provided to the Nigerian Petroleum minister who caused the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to spent N10 billion naira to charter another Vista jet, Challenger 850 Aircraft marked OE-ILA which has now been moved out of Nigeria following an investigation launched by the House of Representatives.
The charter jet used by the governor was registered in Switzerland as OE-INI. The governor and his entourage used the jet on trips within Nigeria and Europe within the period. Records seen by SaharaReporters indicated that Mr. Akpabio spent close to $400,000 per day for the period of the jet charter, which started in January 2010.
Mr. Akpabio later purchased a Bombardier jet for $45 million in 2012. SaharaReporters reported exclusively on the governor’s purchase of the jet.
A few months after splurging on the jet, Governor Akpabio also bought a bullet-proof van from a US armory company for $1 million dollars.
In 2012, Vista jet made at least 900 trips within the Nigerian airspace using four jets that were making at least three landings per day.
Source: Sahara Report
Omo, if them catch you eh! me sef no hear o.
ReplyDeleteAkwa Ibom State government has debunked a story making the rounds on the internet, with the title Governor Akpabio Of Akwa Ibom State Blew $10 Million On Vistajet On 25 Trips, published in some online media websites
ReplyDeleteA statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah refuted the report describing same as untrue and lacking in all elements of facts. According to Umanah "while it is true that Akwa Ibom State, in moments of needs and emergencies, hired aircrafts for official movements ,particularly between 2010 - 2011, the government never paid $10m to any aircraft charter company."
Mr. Umanah explained that after the stoppage of flight operations by Arik Airlines to the Akwa Ibom International Airport in December 2009, official and private movements became very difficult in the State. According to him, "Government had need to engage charter services from different airlines during the period under reference before the State succeeded in bringing Dana Air to operate the route."
The Government spokesman stressed that "at no time did any single chartered flight cost more than N3m or $20,000" Therefore, according to him, "assuming 25 charter trips were made, as referenced in the report, it would only have amounted to $500,000.00 and not $10M in two years. The commissioner wondered what was new about governments and corporate organisations chartering air crafts for specific needs and why that of Governor Akpabio should be news.
Read More @ http://blog4all-com.blogspot.com/2014/03/aksg-debunks-10m-air-charter-story.html