The federal government has frowned at the arrest of the two pilots who flew passengers into Rivers state.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said approval was granted to the private helicopter company to fly into Port Harcourt.
His reaction was made known in the course of Wednesday’s covid-19 briefing in Abuja where he said the airforce officers that allowed the governor come into the airport to effect an arrest acted in dangerous ignorance.
Sirika said, “Civil aviation is item No. 3 on the exclusive list. There is no other person or institution other than the Federal Government that has the legal right to legislate on items on the list.
“So, the air force officer, who jumped over the Commander-in-Chief, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Air Staff to call a governor to come into the property of the Federal Government to make an arrest, exhibited dangerous ignorance and gross incompetence.
“The police officer, who followed the governor in there, also exhibited dangerous ignorance from our perspective in civil aviation.”
Sirika added, “It is against this background that we have the powers in civil aviation, guided by the Civil Aviation Act of 2006 to approve such flights.
