The management of Azikel Group has dismissed a report stating that the Aviation Scholarship programme, which it designed to empower young indigenes of the state, is a scam, saying it’s a genuine project with no political colouration.

Recall that an online platform had put out a report with the caption “ Bayelsa Pilot trainee sues Azikel Founder N1BN over alleged Aviation Scholarship Scam, but a statement by Mr. Austin Ebipade, Lead Communications Officer made available to journalists in Yenagoa on Thursday stated that Azikel Aviation Training programme is a self-prestigious philanthropic initiative designed to support Bayelsa youths aspiring for aviation training in Pilots for Helicopter, Fixed Wing Aeroplane and Aircraft Maintenance Engineering.

The statement reads: “The programme is devoid of any political affiliation or any financial benefit to the sponsor; it was for the sole purpose of supporting Young Bayelsans who are interested in the pursuit of aviation and to obtain the best training and return to Nigeria.

He reiterated that there’s no ambiguity that the President of Azikel Group, Dr Eruani Azibapu CFR, the sponsor of the philanthropic gesture, is a successful businessman, not a politician and is not interested in contesting for the Bayelsa State 2027 governorship election or any political office.

Ebipade averred that the management provided all instructional materials free of charge to applicants, adding that they were duly informed of the three stage,s which includes: an age limit of 25 to 35, applicants must pass the computer-based test after studying the instructional materials provided by the company.

” Thereafter, admitted into the Aviation Training Programme with commencement as a Trainee in the Azikel Aviation Hanger, where successful candidate will be mentored, supervised, undergo character vetting, recommendation from their supervisors to proceed abroad with the conviction that candidates will return to Nigeria after the training in the United States.

Ebipade said that the character vetting and stress test was designed to elicit any form of distrust or tendency for candidates’ possible plan to elope from the United States upon being sent abroad.

“While undergoing the in-house training, the two successful candidates, Kariyal Daukoru and Ebilatei Amabebe, were paid a net monthly allowance of N205,200(Two Hundred and Five Thousand Two Hundred Naira Only).

“It will be recalled that the CBT was conducted on the 28th of February, and the duo began the in-house programme in March 2024, with monthly allowances, and their responsibility was to understudy in-house engineers and pilots at the Aviation Hanger, which will give the management a better opportunity to assess their characters and personality.

“And of utmost importance is their possible return to Nigeria, since the company will be standing as a guarantee to the US Embassy for their return to Nigeria after their studies.

“However, reports from their supervisors showed that the duo failed in the character assessment and security vetting while on placement from March 24 to June of 2025 during the initial phase of the Azikel Training Programme in the Aviation Hanger, as the duohad  rather perfected plans to allegedly elope upon arrival in the United States.”

Ebipade claimed that when management uncovered their sinister plans to dump the training and elope as soon as they get to the US, they hurriedly and voluntarily tendered their resignation.

Continuing, He pointed out that prior to their resignation, both of them had received N205,200 each monthly from March 2024 until June 2025, the sum of N3,283,200( Three Million Two Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand Two hundred Niara each) for just being in placement at the Aviation Hanger for character vetting and final recommendations from the aviation engineers and pilots.

He claimed that the duo failed all assessments, including dedication and endurance, as they were complaining of too long character vetting and character test and that they just wanted to travel to the United States.

The statement submitted that their misconduct got to management, and they were warned and advised to take their training seriously on the heels of the recommendation from their supervisors is a prerequisite to their training.

However, all warnings fell on deaf ears according to the statement, despite the sincerity of management in keeping them abreast with plans made towards their travel visas.

“ On the 26th of March 2025, upon complete commencement of the admission procedure with the training facility in the United States OSM Aviation Academy and the full involvement of the candidates for their visa application procedure, management received a more frightened security report of candidate planning to elope in the United States immediately upon their arrival in the US, as the duo had commenced the sales of there belonging in Nigeria, confirming their their clandestine plans not to return to Nigeria immediately they secure the visa.”

Ebipade posited that the duo hatched the plan when it became obvious and certain that their departure to the United States is now imminent.

However, the act of allegedly selling their belongings became a serious concern to management, against the backdrop that they were being paid monthly and that the company would be standing as their guarantor for the visa and their return to Nigeria upon completion of their training in the US.

“The duo only tier to Nigeria was their properties, while their supervisors recommendations were poor, interms of character and security, and as they became aware of the investigation by the company the duo commenced a social media cheap blackmail which is no longer new to the public, targeted to tarnish her good image and several philanthropic services the Group has offered to help other Bayelsa youths, humanity and corporate organizations.

Ebipade submitted that since their plots failed, the duo in the month of June 2025, hurriedly and voluntarily resigned from the Aviation training programme.

Ebipade noted that the poor attitude of the duo is a disservice to other youths seeking support from privileged Bayelsans, stressing that this act of using media to blackmail them and extort them would dissuade them from supporting others.

He reiterated that questionable characters cannot be hidden, as they would always bring themselves to public ridicule, stressing that the Azikel Group has the capacity to send them for further training in the US, but for their character deficiency and impatience, even when the Azikel Group bears all financial responsibility for their trip to further their training in the US.