Reps committee grills College of Aviation over controversial sales of 2 helicopters

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets has commenced an investigative hearing into the alleged sales of two training helicopters of the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, NCAT.

The helicopters meant for training were allegedly sold to private individuals below 20 percent of the cost price by the management of Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.

The College is now facing the panel in the lower legislative Chamber.

The Chairman, House Committee on Public Assets, Ademorin Kuye, expressed disappointment that the helicopters were sold to non-existent companies.

According to the lawmaker, government agencies showed Interest in the purchase when they gathered the NCAT’s intent to put up the helicopters for sale but were ignored by NCAT management, revealing that the beneficiary companies were registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in line with Companies and Allied Matters Act.

Advertisement

However, in reaction, the Acting Rector/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Shaka Imalighwe sought the permission of the Committee to allow the head of the quality assurance and procurement department of the college to speak on the sale of the two training helicopters.

Imalighwe maintained that the transaction took place before his emergence in acting capacity as CEO of NCAT, noting that he was appointed Acting Rector of the College by December 2023 while the handing over note was given to him by January 18, 2024.

In his explanation, the Head of the Quality Assurance and Procurement Department revealed that they got approval from the Ministry of Works and Aviation before disposing of the two Bell 206L4 BZB and Bell M2061- L4 Helicopters.

Members of the Committee, however, argued that the.NCAT management was expected to engage an independent valuer for a proper valuation which they never did.

They insisted that the two helicopters were disposed of suspiciously, saying, “Even the Auctioneer engaged was not a registered member of the Certified Institute of Auctioneers Nigeria, CIAN.”

The Committee lamented that Bell 206L4 BZB and Bell M2061- L4 helicopters bought at about 7 million dollars will be sold at a ridiculous amount to private individuals for less than 20 percent of the cost price.

Further drama ensued when the bursar of NCAT noted that 10 percent of the total money paid for the sale of the two training helicopters was given to Auctioneers However, the head of the procurement department of the College noted that it was 1.5 percent he was aware that was paid for the services of auctioneers.

The lawmakers alleged that the management of NCAT merely connived with certain individuals in the name of engaging the service of the independent auctioneer as the Certified Institute of Auctioneers Nigeria insisted that the firm the college collaborated with as an auctioneer was not their member.

The Committee also noted that the amount NCAT claimed to have been paid to the treasury of government in June last year is far less than the $1.2 million they agreed to have been collected for the sale of the two helicopters given the exchange rate at that time.

While the helicopters were sold in dollars, the amount remitted to the government treasury was in Naira at an exchange rate of about N400/$1.