The Augusta 109 Naval Helicopter, which crashed in Bayelsa
State on Saturday, was on its 15th trip for the day when the accident occurred,
a senior naval officer toldThe PUNCH on Monday.
Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa,
ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi (retd.); and four others died
in the crash.
The aircraft had been shuttling
between Okoroba and Port Harcourt, carrying guests to and fro the venue of the
burial of the father of President Goodluck Jonathan’s aide, Oronto Douglas, in
Okoroba.
“The helicopter was made available
for the use of guests at the funeral. One thing I can say is that it was going
on its 15th trip when it crashed. I cannot say whether this could affect the
performance of the helicopter,” the naval source said.
The source, who asked not to be named
because he was not authorised to speak on the incident, also confided in one of
our correspondents that investigators would also look into the possibility that
the aircraft had been “overstretched” for the day.
But, the Nigerian Navy, at a press
conference on Monday, said that the helicopter was air- worthy.
Spokesman for the Navy at the press
conference, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor, said the crashed helicopter had more
than 80 flight hours before its next scheduled routine maintenance.
According to Ogbor, who is the
Nigerian Navy Chief of Training and Operations, the aircraft just had its last
scheduled routine maintenance on November 19, 2012 and was cleared for
operations on November 20, 2012 by technical support engineers.
“When the aircraft crashed, it was
having more than 80 flight hours before the next scheduled routine
maintenance,” he stressed, and that the captain in command had flown more than
800 hours, while the co-pilots had flown over 300 hours.
Ogbor added, “The Nigerian Navy will
not want to pre-empt the findings of the investigations. All our pilots are
trained in the best aviation institutions all over the world.
“An accident investigating team has
been set up to probe the immediate and remote cause of the crash. Members of
the team include aircraft investigation specialists, Augusta Westland (the
manufacturers of the aircraft) and other aviation regulatory agencies as provided
for by extant regulations.”
The Nigerian Navy has also defended
the use of the helicopter during the funeral of Pa Douglas, saying the naval
helicopters were employed in “multi-role military operations.”
These roles, it said, included
surveillance, logistic support at sea, search and rescue and medical
evacuation.
It added that apart from these roles,
the helicopters were deployed in aid of civil authority in peace time.
“These include VIP movement and
humanitarian/disaster relief operations,” Ogbor stated, adding that the Navy
deployed three of its helicopters to Central and Eastern Naval Commands in
support of its Niger Delta operations.
Meanwhile, wife of the President,
Patience Jonathan, on Monday wept profusely for five minutes at the Kaduna
Government House, official residence of Yakowa.
Patience was in Kaduna to commiserate
with the family of the late governor when she broke down in tears.
The president’s wife, who arrived the
residence at 1:30pm, was ushered into the home of the Yakowas by Vice-President
Namadi Sambo and the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, and she burst into
tears as soon as she sighted the widow of the late governor, Amina.
When she finally calmed down about
five minutes later, she said, “I am sorry that I am crying. I cry because I am
a woman. I know what she’s passing through. We came here to console her and the
good people of Kaduna State.
“Governor Yakowa was a peaceful man,
a man who was everything; a strong and hard-working man. My sister, we sit in
sorrow. I want you to know that you are the mother and father of your children
now. We would continue remembering you in our prayers.”
The President’s wife later wrote in
the condolence register, “Our dearly beloved Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa,
we received with rude shock news of your sudden and painful departure.
“We, however, give God praise that
you lived a worthy life full of honour and integrity.
“We are also gladdened that you were
a true patriot who was devoted to the welfare of your people without respect
for the divides and differences. Our prayers are that God, almighty will
receive you into His peace and grant you sweet repose.”
Also at the Yakowas’ residence,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, said that the country
had lost a noble gentleman and a seasoned administrator. He described the late
governor as a peace promoter who was committed to the development of the state
and the nation.
National Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, said the late governor and the ex-NSA
died at a time the nation needed their services most.
Tukur told Yakowa’s widow, Amina,
that he knew the husband 25 years ago and that he fondly called him my “son.”
“I fondly call your husband my son. I
know him over 25 years. He was the Commissioner of Industry when I was the
Minister of Industry. He is never tired of asking of me or seeing me throughout
the time I was in office as Minister,” he said.
Source: Punch
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