Credit: Punch
Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, on Tuesday, disclosed that the report on the Associated Airline aircraft, which was submitted to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), was forged. Speaking at the plenary session of the Senate, he added that “there is a systemic problem over how the regulators are doing their jobs. We need to go beyond the surface dressing.” Also speaking at the session, Senator Smart Adeyemi said the ill-fated aircraft was on a test flight and was, by law, not expected to carry passengers, except the pilot and engineers.
This is just as the Senate concluded that the country may continue to witness more air crashes unless those in charge of the aviation sector were held responsible and accountable for their negligences.
The upper chamber also summoned the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah and heads of parastatal agencies in the ministry over the increasing air disasters experienced in the country in recent times.
Oduah and others would be appearing before the Senate on October 22, having adjourned for two weeks to enable various committees to complete their oversight duties, in anticipation of the 2014 budget.
The position of the Senate was sequel to a motion moved by the chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, on the crash in Lagos, last Thursday, of the Associated Airline aircraft, bearing the remains of the former governor of Ondo State, Chief Olusegun Agagu.
The Senate expressed worries that the country had witnessed seven fatal air mishaps and averted two within two and a half years.
Stating that the increasing air crashes in the country since 2011 was an indication of deep-rooted systemic problem, the upper legislative chamber mandated its relevant committees to identify the inherent lapses in the operational laws and regulations guiding the aviation industry, with a view to averting future occurrences.
Most of the senators who spoke at the plenary session on Tuesday, attributed the increasing air disaster in the country to corruption and failure of the appropriate authorities to implement reports of investigations on past air crashes.
Senator Adeyemi blamed the incident on corruption, adding that “I was in Lagos after the crash and, in the course of my stay, I interacted with my colleagues in the media and I was surprised to gather that the plane crashed as a result of corruption.
“I gathered that the plane was meant to be on a test flight and, as such, it was to shuttle between Lagos and Akure without carrying passengers, except the pilot and engineers. But someone thought it wise to pick passengers to make quick business.
“There is no amount of money that can help if we don’t tackle corruption. We need to know who bought the aircraft and who is managing it.
“The ongoing renovation at the airports is good, but the problem is management and regulation. The truth is that there is corruption in the aviation industry.
“We must be courageous enough to speak the truth. Our chambers would do the county good to unravel the owners of the Associated Airline.”
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, said the aviation sector was in a state of emergency and expressed the need to question the activities of the minister and heads of parastatal agencies, especially with regards to safety regulations.
For Senator Ita Enang, the aviation ministry had only concentrated on infrastructure and aesthetics at the airports, with little attention paid to the state of the aircraft flying the Nigerian airspace.
“Most aircraft flying in Nigeria are not allowed to fly in other countries. The regulators are more interested in awarding contracts than on the safety of passengers,” he said.
Senator Bukola Saraki said until the regulators were held responsible and accoutable for their negligence, nothing could change in the sector.
He added that all reports of previous investigations must be implemented, while advising that the Senate committee set up to investigate the incident must be empowered to be able to conduct a third party investigation.
Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi blamed the recent incident and several others before it on poor aviation regulations and enforcement.
“What we are suffering from is the regulation. The duty of the government is to regulate the industry to ensure safety in the air and that is what we are not getting.
“There is nowhere in the world where we have this level of disaster. Yet, we have a minister telling us about the safety of aviation sector and the construction of terminals.
“We do not need anybody to make us know that due diligence is required. We must ask ourselves questions in the Senate about our oversight duties and monitoring of regulatory agencies. If not, we will continue to make mockery of the red parliament,” he said.
Senator Solomon Ewuga called for a better understanding between government agencies saddled with the responsibilities of aviation safety and the legislature.
He said, going by the report of the aviation committee from various incidents, there was a wide gulf between both bodies, especially with regards to aviation regulations and maintenance operations.
Ewuga, therefore, urged the committee to be thorough in its investigation with greater emphasis on professionalism and training pattern of aviation regulators.
While Senator Phillip Aduda recommended that people saddled with aircraft certification were brought to book, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha was of the view that there should be a law banning the importation of tokunbo aircraft, as it was being proposed for automobiles.
In his reaction, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, commended his colleagues for transcending ethnic and political divides in their contributions.
He also blamed incessant plane crashes in the country on the regulators of the industry and maintained that so long as Nigerians did not take responsibilities for their actions, the Senate had no option but to summon the Minister of Aviation and heads of its agencies.
“The issue is that in some places, when something like this happens, people take responsibilities and resign, but because such things do not happen here, we will keep repeating ourselves.
“The problem here is the safety standard and not just the plane, because the standards are same everywhere. There is the need to ensure that those responsible for regulating the industry do so,” he said
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