BY Samuel Akpan
The house of representatives committee on public assets says it will probe the alleged illegal sale of two training helicopters by the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna state.
On Sunday, Alkali Modibbo, rector and chief executive officer of NCAT, said the college auctioned the helicopters at $556.2 million (N1.2 billion) due to under-utilisation.
Modibbo said the helicopters were disposed of after “due diligence” was done.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ademorin Kuye, chairman of the committee, said the helicopters could have been transferred to the police to fight banditry.
“The sale of the helicopters under the pretext of under-utilisation 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 sectors of the economy by all MDAs toward the twilight of the last administration,” the statement reads.
“This is despite the offer of the Nigerian Navy to acquire the same and possibly use it to address the security challenges facing the country in the area of oil pipeline vandalisation 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 shortchanged in this deal.”
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