The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo to appear before its committee on Aviation within the next seven days along with the heads of relevant agencies and departments of the ministry to address issues in the sector especially those relating to safety.
The House also wants the Ministry of Aviation to conduct a comprehensive audit of airport personnel in the country to ensure that only qualified professionals are employed and deployed to man sensitive areas in the airport for the safety of travellers.
The ministry, according to a resolution of the House following a motion by Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi (LP, Lagos), is also to conduct an audit of all contractors engaged in specialised areas at Nigerian airports in the last one year, assessing their knowledge, competency, and ability to perform their duties effectively and ensure contractors who have been engaged in the last one year to present their company profiles, detailing their expertise and previous work experience.
In addition, the House wanted the Ministry to conduct an Audit of Technical systems and projects to thoroughly review of the current state of RADAR systems, radio communications, the Safe Tower project, and the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) Automation project.
Moving the motion, Onuakalusi said there was a dire need to maintain high standards of safety, security, and efficiency at the nation’s airports by ensuring that all personnel and contractors are properly qualified since competent is vital for the smooth operation of airports and the safety of all passengers and stakeholders.
He said the efficient functioning of Nigerian airports is crucial for national security, safety, and economic development, adding that recent incidents have raised concerns about the competence and accountability of personnel and contractors working at airports.
Read Also: JUST IN: CBN raises interest rate to 26.25%
The lawmakers spoke of the potential risks to safety, security, and efficiency posed by the appointment of incompetent officers to sensitive positions and the employment of political appointees who may lack the necessary knowledge and competence to manage critical airport functions.
He also expressed concern about the abysmal state of the RADAR systems at the airports, which he said present a disaster waiting to happen as RADAR labels often fail at critical times, risking mid-air collisions.
He said there was a need to worry about the state of communication radios at the airports with previous attempts to resolve these challenges yielding no positive improvements, leading pilots and controllers to rely on relays from others for necessary instructions, risking national embarrassment.
He said the stalled Safe Tower project, despite significant investment, needs urgent attention to improve the efficiency of the towers.
He alleged that the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) Automation project which could solve communication challenges in the Airspace has been ongoing for over fifteen (15) years without completion.
He said there have been recent reports and observations indicating potential irregularities in the employment and appointment of personnel and contractors at major Nigerian airports, specifically in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu.
He said further that the recruitment into technical areas must be regulated to prevent the manifestation of incompetence due to skewed recruitment processes. Moreover, appropriate sanctions for erring offenders related to Airspace management should be enforced.
He said Nigerian airports play a critical role in the nation’s transportation infrastructure and overall economic development, recognising the importance of ensuring that all personnel and contractors working at these airports are qualified and competent.
