Why ICAO should unanimously re-elect Aliu again

Everything may look dicey for the country’s aviation sector in view of the various challenges confronting it which has been aggravated by the ongoing economic recession.

Despite these and many other factors, one thing that is very obvious is that Nigeria can boast of brilliant professionals in the sector who are capable of turning things around in any assignment given around the world.

Besides the local politics dragging the sector backward intermittently, which is though not peculiar to Nigeria, the global community still holds the country in high esteem.

This was what played out few weeks ago in far away Montreal, Canada, where for the first time in fell swoop, over 152 nations unanimously voted for Nigeria to secure a seat on the council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for another three years.

For the countries to have pitched their tents with Nigeria, shows that they realise that the country has what it take to excel against all odds.

It is no news that the present leadership of the ICAO is the Nigerian born, Dr Bernard Aliu, who is carrying the flag of the country high through the brilliant ideas he has brought to bear in running the council.

There is no doubt that the re-election of Nigeria into the ICAO council by the 152 nations must have been made possible with the pedigree of Aliu and the hope in Nigeria.

Now that the tempo is very high,  it has become imperative for the Federal Government to further showcase Nigeria’s ability to excel in the face of challenges by rallying round Aliu to win the re-election into the ICAO number one seat come November.

The good news is that Nigeria’s Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has started well during his recent visit to Canada, while the election into the ICAO Council took place.

Sirika, apart from fully been on ground to witness the election of Nigeria into the ICAO Council, he was also able to convince the gathering on the role of Nigeria in raising the bar in the sub region.

There is no doubt that the election of Nigeria into the ICAO Council is a sign of good things to come in November, as this will surely set the pace for the re-election of Aliu for a second term.

From all records, Aliu deserves a second term in view of his professionalism and doggedness in ensuring Africa as a continent is well carried along by other nations that made up the global aviation body.

Africa surely deserves to be given a second chance through the re-election of Aliu who has shown that there are many Africans who if given opportunities can do more than expected.

Therefore, time has come for Africa to repeat what it did at the first election of Aliu in 2014 by unanimously returning him to the exalted position for another three years.

When Africa speaks with one voice, the other parts of the world will have no choice but realise that Africa also deserves a better chance in global aviation.

While Africa especially Nigeria is optimistic that Aliu will be re-elected come November because of his success in the first term, one obvious thing is that for 152 nations to come together to vote for Nigeria, aviation is though global, but again a small family where your race, colour, culture is immaterial while whatever happens to one affects others.

Absolutely, Nigeria has all what is needed to make its aviation sector one of the most effective and efficient with the brains it has, this is another opportunity for the government to also look inward by prioritising the sector for the purpose of urgently repositioning it.