A’Ibom offers aid as stakeholders lament decay in aviation sector

Aviation stakeholders meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, have decried the collapse of infrastructure in the sector, warning that such problems pose danger,   to air safety in Nigeria.

Speaking at the 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) held in  Uyo, stakeholders lamented the collapse of aviation facilities in some airports as well shortage of safety personnel in the sector and called for a holistic action plan to address the problems.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, underscored the importance of air safety in Nigeria and called on the Federal Government to fix the problems.

He explained that his administration at NAMA, had, since its inauguration, embarked on immediate reforms in the sector through interventions in the areas of personnel and infrastructural update.

Areas of interventions includes the Aerodrome\Approach Control, Area\Airways Procedural Control as well as Area\Terminal Approach Radar courses “which has been very elusive in the past”, but currently ongoing at Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

Besides, NAMA has also embarked on several training programmes to ensure safety standards remain at the level best in the industry.

To ensure total compliance with international best practices, the, the President of NATCA, Mr. Victor Eyaru, pointed out that much still needed to be done to avoid air accident in the sector.

He drew the Federal Government’s attention to the begging questions of fixing the burnt Control Towers at the Kaduna and Maiduguri airports, stressing: “these facilities need to be fixed as soon as possible”.

More worrisome to the industry stakeholders, according to him, was the closure of the taxiway Bravo at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, noting that “the closure of the facility for over ten years had led to the reduction of the capacity of the aerodrome as well as making it impossible for aircraft to do their normal engine runs at the compass wing”.

He noted that the continued closure of the taxiway has led to mounting pressure on controllers, while separating aircrafts on the ground, adding that the lighting problem on runway 18L\36R, in Lagos must be addressed for smooth aviation businesses in Nigeria.

The President, who made as case for air traffic workers’ welfare to be addressed, said they would not hesitate to be part of the union’s struggle for better packages if called out by the parent union, the Air Transport Services’ Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).

To address the problem of shortage of air safety personnel, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, has offered assistance, promising to donate some of air traffic officials trained by the State government to bridge the personnel gab in the aviation safety department.

The Commissioner for Housing and Special Duties, Mr. Akan Okon, who stood in for his boss, said Akwa Ibom has enough reservoir of trained safety personnel to complement the shortfall in the industry.

“Akwa Ibom has abundance of air traffic controllers trained within and outside the country”, he assured and urged NAMA to partner with the State government with a view to absorbing them.

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, who was represented by the MD of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkutu, said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government places much premium on air safety and urged the conferees to come up with workable recommendations that would address safety challenges in the sector.

“The administration under President Muhammadu Buhari, places high premium on the safety and security of our airspace, as one of the critical enablers of the Government Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP)”, he said.

He assured that the administration was working to ensure the aviation system meets every safety standards in line with the recommendations of the international regulatory agency, ICAO.