Aviation
Unions flay FG over undue interference in aviation industry
By Oyise OGHENE
Aviation unions under the auspices of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) have flayed at the undue interference of the Federal Government saying it is posing as a threat to safety in the industry.
Speaking to newsmen in his office, the Acting General Secretary of NUATE Comrade Abdulkareem Motajo affirmed that the undue interference of the Minister of Aviation Princes Stella Oduah in the aviation industry was becoming too much adding that if not curb on time it could lead to Chief Executives of the various agencies making mistakes which could be disastrous to the industry.
He said”In the aviation industry, you don’t make mistake and come back to correct it, the pilot of Dana Air will never come back even all the investigation done and confirmed that these were the reasons for the crash, nobody is coming back to correct that mistake, it has been done and it has caused a lot of damage, that is the level of danger in our industry and that is why we cannot allow mediocre to come around”
“As long as the unions are always there, we will always raise our voices against such things, we have said it in our press conference the other day that these undue interference of the honourable minister Princes Stella Oduah is causing a lot of problem and one of the undue interference for instance, some contracts were given by some parastatals to the tune of 9 to 18 million and of course the head of that parastatal is not authorized to sign over N2 million for instance, so which means that the authority must have come from above and if the authority that is coming from above is to the effect that you should go and do a wrong thing and you don’t have any other means of stopping it, majority of the heads of parastatals, they are job seekers as well, so when they get this job they want to continue being on the job and by then they will not want to refuse. Of course when they are employed they become public servant who must obey orders but as long as the unions are always around and we have our workers working there, we will get to know of this and we will continue to cry out”
Comrade Motajo further pointed out that the situation has even gotten worse to a stage whereby the National Assembly could no more be trusted on issues raised by the unions saying that if nothing was done to stop this undue interference of the government that one day the aviation industry would come crashing down all at once.
“We have written series of letters that nobody want to listen to us now, we have now cried to the world because even the National Assembly cannot be trusted because several reports that we gave to the National Assembly, they will not even address it. A public hearing was heard over a petition that we wrote about somethings that was happening in the industry and the Senate Committee on Aviation headed by Senator Hope Uzodimma called a public hearing and they did not even allow the unions to talk, when we were to talk, they said ok we give you 10minutes while other persons have been talking for more than three hours and we are the petitioners it was on the basis of our petition that they called the hearing, so by the body language they displayed we knew that they were not going to address the issue and at the end of the day nothing happened to the extend that the Chairman called myself and Mr. Benjamin Okewu President of ATSSSAN that come, please I like your presentation give me all the facts and we did supply them and up till today as we speak nothing came out of it, so we can tell you that they themselves cannot be trusted” comrade Motajo affirmed.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
The NNPC Ltd has clarified that beyond the three bodies found in the ill-fated helicopter operated by East Winds Aviation that crashed on Thursday in Port Harcourt, no other bodies have been recovered.
This was contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye.
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“The Company further notes that intensified search and rescue operations for the remaining bodies along with relevant authorities is still ongoing.
“Once again, our hearts and prayers are with family members of this unfortunate incident,” the statement added.
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