Mr Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser on Communications to the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, says the minister has not travelled out of Abuja since March 22.
Bello made the disclosure in a statement he issued to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.
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He said that the attention of the office of the minister had been drawn to a letter signed by the Chairman /Chief Executive Officer of Executive Jets Services, Ltd, Dr Sam Iwuajoku, concerning a flight it operated to Abuja last weekend.
“In order to set the records straight, the minister “has not travelled out of Abuja since March 22, 2020, when he returned there from an inspection tour of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway construction work and a visit to Lagos, before the lockdown.
“The decision of the honourable minister not to travel was taken in strict compliance with Federal Government’s ban on inter-state travels as part of efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is, therefore, ridiculous for Dr Iwuajoku to attempt to link the honourable minister with any non-compliant flight,” he said.
Executive Jet Services had argued that it was a case of mistaken identity.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the airline explained that the airline was misled that the flight was operated to airlift the Minister of Works and not the popular musician.
He, therefore, apologized to the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika.
There had been outrage when video emerged of Naira Marley disembarking from the plane on landing in Abuja while he also hosted a concert at Jabi Lake Mall despite the interstate lockdown and flight restriction.
Sirika had, at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday, announced the suspension of the airline for ferrying the musician when the permit granted to it was to fly a Court of Appeal Judge to Abuja and back to Lagos on a special assignment.
The Minister had said: “The flight, from the application was to convey Hon. Justice Adefope Okoji from Lagos to Abuja and back to Lagos, for an official assignment.”
