The controversial Bauchi State Aircraft, yesterday, landed in Bauchi from Moroco, where it was discovered by the present administration. The 5N -BJM aircraft arrived Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport at 10am yesterday Friday.
Speaking with journalists’ after witnessing the arrival of the aircraft, the State Deputy Governor, Nuhu Gidado, said, “We have been longing to see our aircraft back and we are glad that the aircraft is back. We will be meeting with the crew and see what next and how to move forward.”
It could be recalled that Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State in his 100 days in office broadcast, disclosed that his public Property Recovery Committee discovered an aircraft belonging to the state in Morocco.
Abubakar said that the recovered aircraft would be received by the state government in few days to come at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi.
He said that the aircraft was recovered by the committee set up by the government and headed by Air Commodore Ahmed Tijjani-Baba (rtd). The governor said: “I wish to announce the fruitful efforts in locating the state-owned “Embraer 145 Aircraft in Morocco and soon it will land at the Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa international Airport in a matter of days,” said the governor.
On the alleged missing aircraft which became subject of controversy, Mallam Isa Yuguda, the former governor of Bauci State, revealed that the Bauchi State government-owned plane that was allegedly found in Morocco is on lease to Overland Airways.
Yuguda said that the full story of the plane, which was bought by the former administration of Governor Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, is contained in the handover notes, and his successor, Mohamed Abdullahi Abubakar, did not need any assets recovery committee to discover what happened to the aircraft.
He added that he even included a paragraph about the plane in the handover notes’ executive summary so that Abubakar would not miss it.
