Trouble looms in NCAT Zaria, over management’s unauthorized sales of two helicopters

The management of the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology are in deep trouble over sales of two training helicopters which they were properly authorised to do so.

The helicopters which meant for training of students of the College were sold without due process required in line with the Public Procurement Act, a development they are being investigated by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets.

To this end, the Committee on Public Assets has commenced investigative hearing over the alleged sale of two training helicopters to private individuals below 20 percent of the cost price by the management of Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.

The Chairman, House Committee on Public Assets, Hon. Ademorin Kuye expressed concern over allegation that despite interest shown by some of the nation’s security organizations when they learnt of the moves to sell the helicopters, the management of NCAT ignored them and went ahead to sell the helicopters to companies whose record cannot be found with Cooperate Affairs Commission, CAC.

In his submission, Acting Rector/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Shaka Imalighwe sought the permission of the committee to allow the head of quality assurance and procurement departments of the college speak on the sale of the two training helicopters.

Imalighwe noted that he has no much idea of the processes that led to sale of the helicopters because he emerged as acting rector of the college by December 2023 while the handing over note was given to him by January 18, 2024.

Giving the account, the duo noted that the two Bell 206L4 BZB and Bell M2061- L4 Helicopters were sold at $650,000 and $550,000 respectively in May 2023 after the approval by the Ministry of Works as well as Ministry of Aviation.

However, the lawmakers argued that the law stipulates that an independent valuer should have been involved in the process for proper valuation and wondered why the management of the college did not involve the service of an independent valuer.

They added that even the auctioneer engaged was not recognised by the Certified Institute of Auctioneers Nigeria, CIAN.

The House committee lamented that Bell 206L4 BZB and Bell M2061- L4
helicopters bought at about 7 million dollars will be sold at a ridiculous amount to private individuals less than 20 percent of the cost price.

The committee also noted that from their investigation so far, the companies NCAT management claimed to have sold the helicopters to didn’t have any record regarding registration with the Cooperate Affairs Commission, CAC.

Further drama ensued when the bursar of NCAT noted that 10 percent of the total money paid for the sale of the two training helicopters was given to auctioneers However, the head of procurement department noted that it was 1.5 percent he was aware that was paid for the services of auctioneers.

The lawmakers alleged that the management of NCAT merely connived with certain individuals in the name of engaging the service of independent auctioneer as the Certified Institute of Auctioneers Nigeria stated that the firm the college collaborated with as an auctioneer is not their member.

The lawmakers also noted that the amount NCAT claimed to have paid to treasury of the government in June last year is far less than $1.2 million they agreed to have collected for the sale of the two helicopters in view of the exchange rate at that time.

While the heliccpters were sold in dollars, the amount remitted to government treasury was in Naira at an exchange rate of about N400/$1. However, the lawmakers argued that as of the time of sale of the helicopters and remittance, the exchange rate was around N700/$1 hence the need for clarification from Central Bank of Nigeria.

The explanations of the NCAT management that the two training helicopters sold because they were built with jet engine and they needed helicopters with piston engine which can move at lower speed did not go down well with them as there is no record that the college bought other helicopters since then.

Following the submissions of the management of Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria on the sale of the two helicopters, the House Committee on Public Assets Chaired by Hon. Ademorin Kuye invited Corporate Affairs Commission, Certified Institute of Auctioneers Nigeria, Central Bank of Nigeria among others for the next investigative hearing.

The committee also directed the Rector of NCAT to furnish its Secretariat with relevant documents regarding the sale of the two Bell Helicopters before or on 27 February, 2024.