Group, Okorocha's firm differ on bid for presidential jet
By Wole Shadare, Adeyemi Adepetun (Lagos) and Madu Onuorah (Abuja)
MOVES to sell one of the presidential aircraft - Gulfstream (G.11) to Rochas Group, a firm owned by the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-party Affairs, Chief Rochas Okorocha, have been faulted by the Nigeria Aviation Safety Initiative (NASI)
Its secretary-general, Captain Jerry Agbeyegbe, at the weekend described the bidding process where Okorocha's company emerged as winner as fraudulent.
Already the company has said it was ready to pay 30 per cent of the N111.8 million, it offered for the plane as deposit.
Agbeyegbe said it was unethical for a company owned by a presidential aide to participate in the bidding process.
He, therefore, called for the nullification of the bid because it could bring the president's office to disrepute. Okoroacha, he noted, was alleged to took part in the bidding process through two separate companies where his interest were represented.
He gave the companies as Ambjet Air Services and Rochas Group.
According to the NASI scribe, "his participation in the bidding process was an abuse of his privileged position in the Obasanjo's administration and it is rather obvious that those who handled the auction were overwhelmed and intimidated with his status and did not have the guts to disqualify him. It is now up to President Olusegun Obasanjo to disqualify him".
Rochas Group offered to buy the aircraft for N111.8 million, beating Kings Airline, which offered N96.3 million. It automatically became the reserved bidder. Kings Airline is owned by Senator Musa Adede.
At the first bidding exercise on Tuesday last week, none of the six bidders met the benchmark price set by Federal Government for the sale of the two aircraft.
Rochas Group a day after increased its offer after the withdrawal of Ambjet Air Services. The action was criticised by Adede.
He said that Okorocha's company winning the bid put the credibility of the exercise to question. He added: "Honestly, it looks like an insider job as Okorocha is Obasanjo's aide.
"The winner, Okorocha, is a member of this administration. He is the Special Adviser to the President, so I don't think it is fair for a serving member of this government to buy the aircraft.
At Tuesday's bidding, Ex - JET Service Limited offered to buy HS - 125 for N500.05 million while BUA International put up N485 million. Both offers were rejected.
Also, Morola Gross Limited offered to buy the Gulfstream for N77 million while another firm gave N54 million. The two bidders for the HS 125 asked to be given time to make new bids, the request was granted.
The Group General Manager, Rochas Group, Mr. Nyerere Anyim at the weekend defended the bid, saying that though Okorocha is a member of the group, his company which is a going concern needs the aircraft for the expansion of its operations. The company, he said has a subsidiary - Lamond Aviation which its activities would be enhanced through the purchase of the aircraft.
He told journalists in Abuja that "we have grown to own an aircraft because of the diverse nature of our businesses and jobs. When the publication for the bid was made, it was for every Nigerian. The unnecessary controversy being made out of it is not fair.
There is no harm if the Rochas Group has the money to buy the jet. We bided for it. We won the bid. We know the conditions and we will go ahead with the payment. I think the whole attention on our chairman, Chief Okorocha, is very unfair. It is too personal and shouldn't be so".
