Some stakeholders have expressed worry over safety issues in the Nigerian aviation sector.
This is even as they urged President Bola Tinubu to wield the big hammer by sanitising the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.
The stakeholders, under the auspices of Aviation Elders, said it is even more worrisome as confusion persists over the appointment of a substantial Director General, DG, for the agency.
A statement issued on Sunday by the stakeholders was signed by their coordinators, Kolade Hassan and Sy Mohammed.
While recalling that two aircraft engines failed in some local airlines last month, with a cargo airline overshooting the runway, they stated that “this to us is a clear evidence of lack of safety regulatory compliance by the operators and the NCAA.
“The report will be released by AIB soon, yet some people want Najomo confirmed at the expense of the sector.
“Weeks ago, a helicopter crashed, killing 2 crew and 6 NNPC staff. The IOC, such as Shell, Total, Chevron, and NNPC are not even sure if the NCAA can guarantee the safety of their oil workers going forward.
“In fact, the Nigerian Safety and Investigation Bureau, NSIB, had earlier indicted NCAA with regards to the Sikorsky SK76c helicopter which crashed on October 24, 2024. This is among other infractions noticed in their operation
“Is this what Nigeria has become? We elders in Aviation are worried and have reached out to the powers that be. Something has to happen to save Nigeria from this international embarrassment.”
On the controversy over the appointment of a substantive DG for the agency, they urged the President to make a bold statement on claims that the acting DG, Captain Chris Najomo has been reappointed.
“The Acting DG NCAA may have declared himself as DG-NCAA in a very boastful manner without presidential pronouncement and Senate confirmation.
“It is true that the Aviation Minister is genuinely interested in having a substantial DG for the NCAA, but doing so by showing support for the Acting DG who happened to be his uncle from Delta State looks questionable.
“How on earth will a DG be confirmed to be substantive in the media, ignoring even the presidency and the National Assembly? This shows desperation on the part of the sponsors.
“For us to achieve the aviation that meets the global standard, it’s always key we discard personal interests and put Nigeria first.
“The safety of our people should be prioritized and should be the primary objective of all administrators as against politicization of positions.
“We are optimistic that President Bola Tinubu and his team will not allow this desperation to overwhelm them and succumb to the desires of those desperate to keep the industry in their pockets.”
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