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LequteMan
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The Senate on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, to brief it at plenary on the state of the aviation sector and to explain the high number of air crashes.
Chief Executive Officers of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and Nigeria Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), among others, are also to appear before the senate.
The invitation is sequel to a motion brought on Tuesday by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, on the Oct.3 crash involving the Associated Airlines in Lagos.
Uzodiinma said Nigeria had experienced 7 air mishaps and 2 averted crashes within the last two and a half years- which he attributed to the failure of the aviation system. He said the accidents are suggestive of a deep seated problem that must be unraveled and resolved in order to avoid further loss of lives.
The Senate condemned the increasing number of plane crashes in the country and the inability of relevant agencies to unearth the causes of the incidents.
Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), observed that the lack of effective enforcement of regulation was also the bane of the aviation industry and stressed the “need to ensure that our investigation goes beyond the surface dressing.”
Sen. George Sekibo (PDP- Rivers) suggested that technical experts should be contracted to assist the Senate to certify the airworthiness of aircraft operating in Nigeria.
Contributing, Sen. Barnabas Gemade (PDP- Benue) decried the faulty system, which he observed, allowed professionals in the regulatory agencies to go unpunished for negligence.
" We need to do something about professionals in the regulatory agencies who earn promotions sitting in the office while their inexperienced subordinates are out in the field.”
Sen. Bukola Saraki (PDP-Kwara) urged the Senate to persuade government to implement reports of all previous air crashes and ensure that those found wanting were sanctioned appropriately.
“Until people are held responsible and accountable for their negligence, nothing is going to change." He said.
Sen. Oluremi Tinubu (APC-Lagos) advised the aviation authorities to desist from politicising the loss of lives as a result of recurrent incidents of plane crashes in the country.
Also speaking, Sen. Smart Adeyemi (PDP-Kogi) told the Senators that his personal findings showed that the Associated Airlines crash was caused by corruption.
He said the aircraft was supposed to be on test flight from Lagos to Akure but that some persons allowed passengers to board in the bid to make quick money.
He questioned the competence of persons saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the operations of the aviation industry in Nigeria and urged the Senate to unravel the ownership of Associated Airlines.
The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, said the problem facing the aviation sector was the non-observation of safety standards and failure of regulators to enforce same.
He challenged the aviation committee to take all necessary actions to ensure that aviation regulations were effectively enforced irrespective of persons involved.
The Senate subsequently observed one minute silence in honour of the victims of the air crash.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday suspended plenary to enable its committees complete work on all pending reports.
The Senate is expected to resume plenary on Oct. 22 when the Minister of Aviation is expected to appear before the Plenary in response to the invitation extended to her. (NAN)