TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth
Monday, August 26, 2013
Vol. 30, No. 12,660
N150
www.ngrguardiannews.com
Drama as gov, Suntai, returns • Amid posers over his health • Fails to address crowd, deputy denied access • Family, associates shield state chief, help him to enter vehicle • Residents vow to stop ‘incapacitated’ helmsman from holding office From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja) , Charles Akpeji (Jalingo) and Wole Oyebade (Lagos) FTER 10 months of medA ical treatment overseas, Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai arrived in the country yesterday. He was flown to the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in the afternoon aboard a chartered aircraft with number N3889A at 12.48 p.m. Suntai sustained injuries when his self-piloted plane crashed on October 25, 2012 in Yola, Adamawa. Dressed in a dark grey suit, Suntai had difficulty climbing down the steps of the aircraft as well as getting to a car that took him to the reception at the presidential wing where he was received by his friends and close associates. Although Suntai did not talk to journalists, he was
able to wave to some of his friends. Former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, who led a team of friends to receive the governor, explained that the discomfort experienced by Suntai at the airport was caused by the long hours of flight from the United States (U.S.). Shortly after unsuccessful attempts to interview the Taraba governor, journalists were asked to depart the venue to allow him rest. “Gentlemen of the press, you have come and you have seen him (Suntai). I think that is enough for now,” Gana said, as security men quickly led journalists out of the scene. Airport authorities said that Suntai would remain at the airport until after an hour when some stopover formalities would have been concluded before he could depart Abuja to Jalingo. On the state of health of the
governor, Mr. John Dara, a special assistant to the former Defence Minister, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, told journalists: “As we saw, the governor had some pains in his legs and the rest. Oh yes! That is understandable. He is obviously recuperating. He is well. He greeted each and everyone of us and called us by name. I was shocked that he recognised everyone. So, he is mentally alert. “We were really excited to see the governor. What is clear is that after the long journey from America, he was obviously weak and tired.” On changes made by the acting governor, Garba Umar, in the absence of Suntai, Dara said: “Those were minor administrative issues. If somebody was sacked and if he as the governor is convinced the person should be reinstated, he is reinstatCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State during his arrival in Abuja… yesterday.
Operators, FAAN bicker over alleged impunity By Ade Ogidan, Business Editor FRESH legal battle may further unsettle operations in the nation’s aviation sector, with alleged non-compliance with court orders by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), stoking the crisis. Specifically, alleged breaches of agreements reached between some concessionaires in the aviation industry and FAAN, are central to the brewing crisis. Private sector operators handling the concessioned operations alleged that various court decisions, made
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against the agency, were being flagrantly disobeyed. While not denying the court decisions, FAAN said it was only exercising its powers to protect the general public interest, as it viewed the pacts earlier reached with the concessionaires as being lopsided against the well-being of the agency. But Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), which successfully delivered the public-private sector project of Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2), said the culture of impunity enthroned by
FAAN could compromise sustainable growth of the nation’s aviation sector. BASL’s Chief Operating Officer for MMA2, Adebisi Awoniyi, alleged that incalculable damage had been to
MORE ON PAGES 62-64 the concessionaires’ plans to provide world-class services at the strategic gateway. Awoniyi pointed out that FAAN had already incurred several billions of naira as legal awards against it, sequel to court decisions made over “flagrant breaches of
concessioning agreements” it entered with the private sector operators. Besides, she said resource enhancement facilities were either being crippled or stalled by the agency, through outright violations of the pacts reached with concessionaires at the airports. Some of the breaches to the concessioning agreements, according to her, include decimation of BASL’s operational profile, which has, through FAAN’s alleged machinations, exited the general aviation terminal
from its control; non-operation of regional flights from MMA2; non-payment of charges by fuel marketers at the airport to BASL; and derailment of fuel supply scheme through a specially designed underground facility at the gateway. She complained also that despite a subsisting court order, FAAN had refused to render account of “all income it derived unlawfully and illegally, by operating outside the agreement and pay same to Bi-Courtney.” While reacting to security CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
PHOTO: NAN
Estranged PDP govs form new party, VOP By Ehichioya Ezomon, Group Political Editor HOSE who argue that the T nation’s political space is already crowded may have a rethink as a new political party, Voice of the People (VOP), is in the offing. Indeed, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may announce the approval of the new political association this week. Its recognition by INEC would make it the fourth poCONTINUED ON PAGE 4