The Questionable Use Of Private Jets

Following the arrest of a Nigerian private jet in Johannesburg with $9.3 million (about N1 billion) belonging to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the time has come for relevant agencies to monitor closely the use to which private jets are put in the country.

It is scandalous that a jet that belongs to Oritsejafor, who is also a close confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan, could be involved in the movement of such colossal sum of money in cash. The plane with US registration number N808HG  arrived South Africa with $9.3 million cash loaded in several suitcases. Two Nigerians and an Israeli defence contractor, Eyal Mesiaka, were in in the jet when they were accosted by South African authorities.

The CAN president may have nothing to do with the cash as claimed by his aides but the fact that his private jet was involved in the incident leaves much to be desired, given his high position in christendom in Nigeria. It may also be a normal practice that private jet owners hire them out whenever they are not using the jet and what happened in South Africa might just be that the government hired the jet, but couldn’t another jet have been hired rather than Oritsejafor’s jet?

A statement on Tuesday by  Dr Shima Adun on behalf of a company, Green Coast Produce Limited, that the jet was leased to the company in August and since that time had been running and managing charter services with the aircraft in accordance and compliance with global best practices, does not obliterate the fact that the entire incident was an embarrassment to the people of Nigeria and gives the impression that there is more to it than meets the eye.

The South African incident which occurred on 5 September should serve as a wake up call to security agencies that private jets could be used for sinister motives that could undermine the nation’s security. Where were the security agencies when the jet was flying out of Nigeria with that kind of cash to South Africa? The Federal Government which owned up to the shameful deal should take the blame for bringing the nation into disrepute.

Who knows what other despicable acts other private jets have been used to commit in the past? The South African incident may just be one of such cases and confirms the allegations by security agencies that private jets are used to transport arms into the country or siphon money into foreign bank accounts. There is need for the security agencies to be more vigilant as we approach the 2015 election because well-heeled politicians who own private jets or those that do not own any could hire same to bring arms into the country to arm their supporters against their political opponents.