COVID-19 How Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation Endangered Public Safety

Mr. Hadi Sirika, Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation knew that a movement restriction was put in place by the Rivers State Governor in Nigeria as a COVID-19 response strategy for the public health preservation but committed actionable misfeasance in public office by the approval he gave to the Caverton Helicopters to operate flights into the State.

It is very unfortunate that the minister despite being aware that projections by experts have shown that the coronavirus pandemic could explode in Nigeria, still granted the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority the go-ahead to approve clearance to Caverton Helicopters to fly. On Wednesday 8th April 2020 the Minister said that the Federal Government of Nigeria duly granted Caverton Helicopters the right to fly into Rivers State, and it was gathered that Caverton flew passengers into the State in spite of the border closure order by the Rivers State Government.

The Director of the Abuja Situation Room of the International Human Rights Commission Geneva Switzerland sent in a report which has attracted the condemning of this action. The Director/Ambassador of the Africa Region HQ H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure has referred to Minister’s action as a willful inappropriate action or an intentional incorrect action that negates the efforts to prevent the coronavirus spread.

Dr. Ahure indicated that the act is in breach of the law and the Minister is basically a tortfeasor who should be held responsible for the harm the action has caused. This is so because the Minister understands that the failure to adhere to the Governor’s order may result in the deadly coronavirus infecting people in the State.

H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure, said the IHRC Situation Room review of the incident has established a proven case that the action of the Minister has exposed the people of Rivers State and Nigeria to unreasonable risk and has failed as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to stick to his obligation to protect the lives of the people but has instead put them in harm way.

The burden is therefore on the Minister to show he did not breach his duty of care to the Nigerian people by authorizing Caverton Helicopters to ferry passengers during a lockdown and in flagrant disregard of Governor Nysom Wike’s movement restriction rules in Rivers State.