A former minister of Aviation, Air Vice Marshal Anthony Okpere (retired) has called for more funding of facilities and training of personnel to further enhance safety in the sector.
Speaking in Abuja at the just concluded Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Association of Air traffic Communicators (NACAN), AVM Okpere who was the chairman of the occasion, while reacting to the issue of shortage of personnel in the aviation industry, noted that except the gap in the sector between those retiring and serving personnel was bridged, the industry may soon start experiencing problems.
His words: “The job they are doing is so important, except we find a way to bridge that gap, we will soon have problems. We talk about modern means of communications, except we spend money, the lives of people and the industry is in danger”.
The former minister who noted that the air traffic communicators were doing very important job, however emphasized the need for them to be encouraged by providing them with necessary working tools and trainings.
Citing how in 1988, ground to ground communication was recognised in the air space, Okpere added that without adequate ground to ground communications that fell in line with modern ways of doing things, that the country can not go anywhere.
The AVM who recalled how he was appointed minister of aviation after it was carved out of the transport ministry, lamented that no minister that came after him has been able to consult him for clarifications on certain issues in the ministry.
“The people I handed over to, tried to do their best but there were a lot of problems because there were certain things they did not understand. Being not aviators and not conversant with rules and regulations of aviation and no minister since then ever invited me to come to the ministry to explain the rationale behind any of the decisions taken.
“I decided to stay quietly on my own because you don’t pour water on the back of a stone, it doesn’t sink. My opinion does not matter, so, I keep myself shut”.
AVM Okpere also recalled in 1987 how the ministry took off with only three staff after he drafted the Decree that set up the various agencies in the sector that gave rise to the then Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA).
He lamented that everybody has become expert in the industry especially when there was plane crash which he said had not augured well for the industry.
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