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Tag: NAMA

  • Executive airlift partners NAMA on air safety

    Executive airlift partners NAMA on air safety

    The 209 Executive Airlift Group of the Nigerian Air Force attached to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, has pledged its continuous support and cooperation with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA), towards effective management of the nation’s airspace.

    The newly appointed commandant of the group, Air Comdr. Saddiq Kaita who made this remark during his first official visit to the agency in Abuja, stated that such a working relationship, apart from facilitating seamless operations at the nation’s airports would also enhance safety of the Nigerian airspace.

    He appreciated the NAMA’s efforts at training some of the Air Force officers in various courses targeted at bringing them up to speed with latest dynamics in the aviation industry.

    Earlier in an address, the Airspace Manager, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mr. Nnanna  Ugbaga informed his guests that over time, the Nigerian Air Force has been an ally of NAMA as both organizations perform complimentary but safety critical roles.

    Air Commodore Kaita and his entourage were later led on an inspection tour of NAMA facilities at the TRACON site by Mr Ugbaga and other top management staff of NAMA at the Abuja International Airport.

    Meanwhile, as part of measures to ensure the smooth take-off of the newly established Jigawa Airport, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by NAMA and the Jigawa State Government.

    The MOU which was signed by the Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam is for the provision of air navigation services by the agency to the state-owned airport with effect from July 1, 2014.

    Already, some top technical staff including an engineer, Aeronautical Information Services officer and other operational staff to be headed by an Airspace Manager have been deployed to the airport, in addition to the two Air Traffic Controllers who are already on ground at the airport.

  • NAMA to sanction domestic carriers over en route charges

    The axe of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) may soon descend on some domestic airlines over their failure to pay en route domestic navigational charges to the agency.

    Plans by the agency to sanction the erring carriers is coming on the heels of compliance by other carriers that have commenced payment of domestic en route navigation charges since February 2014.

    In February, NAMA got a verdict from the Supreme Court directing domestic airlines to commence payment of en route charges.

    According to a source in NAMA, many domestic airlines since last year started the payment of navigation charges after the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), lost its legal contest to avoid payment.

    The source said NAMA, has since between 2010 and 2011 earned over N600 million from such payment after it evolved the pay as you go system.

    The agency said the encouragement it has received from compliant operators will force it to take drastic steps against erring operators.

    In the coming weeks, NAMA will communicate with the affected airlines on how it intends to recover its debts accruing from en route navigation charges running into hundreds of millions of naira.

    The source said: “I can assure you that very soon NAMA will soon sanction airlines that are not paying us en route navigation charges. Some have paid and about N600 million has so far been collected. That means our victory at the Supreme Court is paying off.

    “The few airlines that are not paying would soon be sanctioned. We are making efforts to reach out to them, and if they refuse to comply we would soon sanction them.

    “We know how to recover our money from the airlines if they refuse to heed to the voice of reason.

    “Why would domestic carriers pay for navigation services rendered to them in other countries but, at home they would not want to pay?

    “That is not good for business. The recovery of the debt would assist the airspace agency to cater for the needs of its work force and maintain its facilities nationwide.”

  • FAAN, NAMA to reconcile account on N6.5b safe tower project

    FAAN, NAMA to reconcile account on N6.5b safe tower project

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) are reconciling accounts to ensure the completion of the Safe Tower Project (STP).

    The project was initiated in 2006 with the N6.5billion intervention fund.

    Sources said NAMA Managing Director, Ibrahim Abdulsalam and his FAAN counterpart, Saleh Dunoma, at a meeting,  expressed concern over the delay in the project’s completion.

    The project, it was learnt, is being stalled by a N70 million debt owed the contractor, AVSATEL Nigeria Ltd.

    Apart from the debt, three new signatories are needed from FAAN and NAMA to effect offshore payment.

    Dunoma, it was learnt, is interested in the project’s completion  and has directed his accounting staff to liaise with their colleagues in NAMA to work a way out.

    The safe tower project was designed to provide automated air traffic management systems at four major airports, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano control towers to enhance safety and expeditious flow of traffic.

    Those in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt have been delivered by the contractor.

    The delay in the completion of the Kano Airport segment of the project, according to investigations, has been attributed to the demise of the contractor handling the project.

    Meanwhile, the Acting Director-General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Benedict Adeyileka, has called on the two agencies to resolve all issues affecting the completion of the Kano Airport control tower .

    He said the regulatory agency would continue to support initiatives aimed at improving safety in Nigeria.

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, under the safe tower project, is expected to partner in the installation of the automatic weather information system and low level wind shear alerting system.

  • Govt invests $9.5m in air safety

    Govt invests $9.5m in air safety

    The Federal Government has invested over $9.5 million in the past few years on critical areas of air safety, the General Manager Public Affairs of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Mr Supo Atobatele has said.

    The money, according to the airspace agency’s spokesman, was invested on the installation of instrument landing systems at some airports across the country, the installation of very Omni directional radio range (VOR), the maintenance of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) as well as the training of aeronautical personnel expected to man the technology.

    In an interview in Lagos, Atobatele said the automation of aeronautical information service billed to start in October would bring about efficiency and precision in the aeronautical information dissemination.

    As part of efforts to improve safety, the agency, he said is deploying very small aperture terminal ( VSAT) facilities and systems for installation at 11 designated centres across the country to automate aeronautical information.

    These stations include NAMA headquarters,  National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA)  headquarters, Lagos, Kano and Abuja.

    Others are Port Harcourt, Sokoto Ilorin, Jos, Maiduguri and Wukari.

    He said: “The training of aviation professionals both locally and abroad, together with capital investment on critical areas of air safety has  cost the Federal government more than $9.5million.

    “For without safe air corridors, monitored round the clock by well trained technical crew and modern and regularly maintained tracking systems, the best pilot flying the best aircraft would be a mere accident waiting to happen.

    “Good aircraft and good flight crew operating in unsecured skies are potential tragedies.”

    He continued: “The automation of aeronautical information service billed to commence by October 2014 is expected to bring about efficiency and precision in the aeronautical information dissemination.

    ‘This would as a consequence, translate into reduction in man hours as most of the paper work would give way to digitalisation.

    “It would also integrate the country’s aeronautical information system into the System Wide Information Management Network. The benefits of AIS automation are legion.”

  • NAMA workers seek transfer to NCAA

    Workers in the flight calibration unit of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) are seeking transfer  to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    They said  since  the unit  was moved from NCAA to NAMA, the department and their equipment, including the Hawker Siddley 125 aircraft used for flight-checking of navigational aids, have been abandoned due to paucity of funds.

    The workers, who pleaded not to named, said the unit had been abandoned since it was moved to the airspace agency.

    Investigations revealed that the services of the calibration flight unit have been contracted to a private firm.

    Operations at the unit, it was learnt, have remained at a low ebb,  because the internally-generated funds of NAMA  could not pay for the responsibilities handed to it by the NCAA and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN).

    The Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation, Hope Uzodima, last week described the unit as prostrate.

    He said the unit, which ought to be used for flight checking of navigational aids, was not functioning as its managers could not justify the huge sums spent to fix its equipment.

    He called for collaboration between two agencies to fix the equipment as the huge sums spent to make its console serviceable have not yielded the desired result.

    In March 2012, NAMA  took over the operations of the Navigational Aids Flight Inspection Surveillance (NAFIS) from the NCAA in line with the Federal Government’s directives.

    Facilities handed over to the agency  included one calibration jet,  hangar and office complex at the local wing of the Murtala  Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    According to a source,  there is the need to review the revenue sharing formula between the two agencies, considering the additional overhead cost to NAMA on the calibration unit.

    Nigeria still depends on ASECNA, the Senegal-based regional equivalent of NCAA, to have its navigational aids  calibrated.

    NAFIS, the agency saddled with calibrating NAVAIDS, is supposed to ensure frequent realignment of the vertical and horizontal signals from NAVAIDS for accurate navigation. Enroute and terminal or designation NAVAIDS are expected to be calibrated regularly or based on pilots’ reports.

    The handover of the equipment was necessary to flight-check all the Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) at the airports, particularly at the Lagos and Abuja airports where the volume of traffic is high.

    The former Managing Director of NAMA, Nnamdi Udoh, said the calibration aircraft during hand-over, helped to diversify its business strategy, adding that it also boosted its revenue base.

    He said: “The HS 125 we inherited from NCAA is fast, but calibration needs a slower aircraft like the one that ASECNA is using. Right now, there is a console that is being fitted into the aircraft, which the NCAA , as I understand, has already paid for.”

    He said other countries had started making contacts with the agency to calibrate their navigational equipment, adding that when the agency takes delivery of the aircraft and start providing services for other countries, it would further boost its revenue.

    His words, “Already, other countries have started calling on us to start this service and calibrate for them. So, it is a worthy venture that NAMA is going into.”

    He said the calibration aircraft  would save the agency over N200 million on the calibration of equipment every six months and generate N500 million in two years.

    Udoh said: “Apart from the savings, we are going to make money. We spend more than N200 million for calibration every six months. Within two years, we will generate over N500 million. As conservative as I want to sound, this is a business that should be encouraged.”

  • Security reports fault merger of NCAA, NAMA, NIMET

    SECURITY reports have faulted the planned merger of three aviation agencies by the Federal Government, The Nation has gathered.

    The reports, sources said, warned that the planned merger of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),  Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) to become the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) could have adverse effect in the industry.

    The observation, it was learnt, could force the government to jettison the planned merger.

    A source hinted that reports from security agencies in Lagos and Abuja, indicated that the planned merger, no matter how well intentioned, may not augur well for the   sector because it would breach standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

    In view of this, the government may have opened communications with aviation unions, opposed to the merger.

    The unions said the merger would amount to taking the  sector back. They argued that ICAO regulations prescribe that civil aviation regulations should be separated from air navigation.

    Last month,  the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers  (NAAPE), and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ( ATSSSAN),  warned that the government might be sanctioned by ICAO if it merges  the three outfits.

    A spokesman of the unions, Comrade Benjamin Okewu, who is the president of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), said the planned merger violates ICAO rules.

    “We strongly support the model that makes for the autonomy and independence of the NCAA and feels it should not in any way be diluted, as doing so would attract dire consequences from ICAO and the FAA.’’

    Last month, Supervising Minister of Aviation, Dr Samuel Ortom, told reporters in Lagos that the government has considered all options to implement the planned merger.

    Ortom said: “The Steve Oronsaye Committee, I believe considered all options and consulted widely with the relevant stakeholders in the aviation sector  before making the recommendations.

    “Government has also looked critically at the proposal and considered it in the interest  of the sector to approve the proposal.

    “The merger I believe will improve efficiency  and reduce waste and overhead cost in the aviation sector.”

    He continued: However, the president has set up an  implementation committee to see to the merger  process. I do not believe the government would go all out to implement policies that would hurt the aviation industry.

    “The government considers the aviation industry very critical  to transforming the economy, thus it would not jeopardise that with hurting policies.

    “Let us trust the government to do what is right. This government is a listening one, if at any point the government considers the merger detrimental, it would not hesitate to rescind its decision.”

  • Expert advocates scrapping of ministry

    To cut administration costs, the Federation Government has been urged to scrap the Ministry of Aviation.
    The Director of Research at Zenith Travels, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, who gave the advice, also urged the government to cut the number of directorates and management staff at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
    He contended that instead of implementing the Steven Oronsaye report, which recommended the merger of the NCAA, NAMA and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the government should borrow a leaf from developed countries that merged their ministry of aviation with transport.
    He said: “If the government is sincere about driving the cost of governance down, it should scrap the ministry of aviation with immediate effect. We can effectively operate without a standalone ministry. What we get from the ministry is signing of unfavorable bilateral air services agreements (BASA) that are detrimental to our carriers, impulsive interference in the day-to-day administration of the agencies, insatiable appetite for spending BASA funds and coercing agencies to pay for chartered flights and other services.
    “NAMA is a provider of air navigation services, which is done at a fee to local and international airlines. Government should reduce the number of directorates and top management staff, which grew astronomically under the last chief executive officer without commensurate level of service and revenue generation. The organisation should make efforts to recoup funds owed by local carriers.
    “NCAA is the regulator and backbone of the industry.We must put our best foot forward and be bold enough to engage foreign technical assistance, if need be. It is advisable to advertise openings and recruitments for able and competent hands, rather than politicise employment. The organisation’s organogram is skewed and inappropriately placed due to the political employment witnessed in the last two years,” he said.

  • Officials plan response to massive waivers allegation

    Officials plan response to massive waivers allegation

    There is unease in government circles over the allegation that Nigeria will lose billions of naira to waivers granted some businessmen to import 290 luxury vehicles for next month’s World Economic Forum taking place in Abuja.

    A source told The Nation in Abuja that some government officials planned to respond to this allegation today.

    An official conversant with the waiver said the government was working on a response to the petition written to President Goodluck Jonathan by members of the Nigerian Auto Manufacturers Association (NAMA).

    The official also said that “some members of the association had also applied for the waiver but because they were not prequalified they may have become angry”.

    Nineteen NAMA members last week urged the Federal Government to cancel the import duty waivers granted to an unnamed businessmen to import cars into the country, claiming that “the import waivers would sabotage the new automotive policy launched by the government and cause a loss of billions of naira in revenue”.

    The local vehicle manufacturers said: “We made a representation to the Nigerian Economic Summit team handling the preparation for the World Economic Forum, to be hosted in Nigeria in May 2014. We undertook to supply vehicles to the summit at our expense and indicated our preparedness to pay duty as may be agreed by government for the vehicles. We submitted the letters to the World Economic Summit Group in January 2014. There was no constructive engagement or response to the offer.”

    However, they later learnt that the government had issued a letter of duty waiver, valid for one year-from February 2014- to certain auto importers, to import 290 luxury vehicles for the World Economic Summit taking place in May 2014.

    This decision, they said, is retrogressive and scandalous as their members, “who have taken a risk of investing in the production in Nigeria, are facing the greatest fear that well placed vested interests in the auto import trade will work to undermine this policy. A duty waiver valid for one year for a one week event taking place in May 2014 is open border to flood our markets with imported vehicles and destroy the domestic market for locally produced vehicles”.

    The car manufacturers recalled that the association pleaded with the government to demonstrate its commitment to the National Automotive Policy, released six months ago, by patronising automotive assembly companies, which demonstrated faith in this economy, by investing in manufacturing facilities in Nigeria.

    NAMA said it regretted that certain elements in the society, “in pursuit of personal wealth, are prepared to stop at nothing to scuttle our aspirations to develop as a nation”.

     

  • Nigeria to lose billions to new import duty,tax waivers

    Nigeria to lose billions to new import duty,tax waivers

    The nineteen-member strong Nigerian Auto manufacturers Association of Nigeria, NAMA has written to the federal government asking it to cancel a new wave of import duty waivers granted to an unnamed businessmen to import cars into the country.

    In a three separate letters written to the President, Dr. Jonathan Ebele Goodluck, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngizi Okonjo-Iweala as well as Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, signed by NAMA executive secretary, Arthur Madueke, the car manufacturers complained that the import waiver will sabotage the new automotive policy launched by the federal government and will also cause a loss of billions of Naira in government revenue. The new auto policy seeks to create employment for Nigerians through the local assembly and the manufacture of cars.

    The letters titled: “Protest and request for cancellation of one-year duty waiver concession to import vehicles into Nigeria”  sought to remind the government  that barely six months ago, ”we rolled out the drums to congratulate the federal government on the monumental stride  taken to advance industrialization in this great country when the Federal Executive Council announced the National Automotive Policy. Two months ago, the President and Commander in Chief , His Excellency President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan launched the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan and the National Enterprise Development Programme. These two projects represent the Federal Government’s initiatives to industrialize this country, diversify our economy and reduce the stranglehold of developed economies on our people. Huge resources to be channeled into this endeavor.”

    NAMA regretted that “sadly though, certain elements in our society, in pursuit of personal wealth, are prepared to stop at nothing to scuttle our aspirations to develop as a nation.”

    The car manufacturers recalled that their Association made a passionate plea to Government to demonstrate its commitment to the National Automotive Policy released six months ago, by patronizing automotive assembly companies that have demonstrated faith in this economy by investing  in manufacturing facilities in Nigeria. They said “our members (19 in number and growing) made a representation to the Nigeria Economic Summit team handling the preparation for the World Economic forum to be hosted in Nigeria in May 2014. We undertook to supply vehicles to the summit at our expense and indicated our preparedness to pay duty as may be agreed by government for these vehicles. These letters we submitted to The World Economic summit group in January 2014. There was no constructive engagement or response to this offer.”

    They therefore regretted that they  had come to learn that the government has issued a letter of duty waiver valid for one year from February 2014 to certain auto importers, with no investment in the productive sector, to import 290 luxury vehicles for the purpose of the World Economic Summit taking place in May 2014. “This decision is to say the least retrogressive and outrightly scandalous. Our membership, who have taken a country risk of investing in production in Nigeria are having to face up to our greatest fear that well placed vested interest in the auto import trade will work to undermine this policy. A duty waiver valid for ONE YEAR for a one-week event taking place in May 2014 is open border to flood our markets with imported vehicles and destroy the domestic market for locally produced vehicles,” said the association.

    NAMA then requested for the intervention of the President in getting the government to withdraw the said duty waiver letter immediately and cancel same. “We assure you that genuine capacity exist in NAMA to support the Federal Government in meeting the auto requirements of the World Economic Forum, without the request for a total duty waiver. Going ahead with this concession will undermine the investments in the productive sector. The issuance of an incentive operative for a period of one year to ship vehicles through our borders without a dime duty, tax or VAT payment promises to usher in another era of treasury looting, information that will not go down too well in the public domain in an election year. We reiterate the preparedness of our members  to supply the vehicular requirements of the World economic Forum without request for ANY duty waiver.” NAMA assured that they believed in the transformational agenda of the a president and were prepared to stand behind him to thwart efforts aimed at sabotaging his vision and agenda for a prosperous country.

    In compliance with the government directive on the waivers, the Comptroller( Import and Export) of the Nigeria Customs Service Jibrin, M. had, in a letter dated April 7th titled “ Re-Import Duty,VAT, and other taxes waiver Certificate” with reference number NCS/ADM/MGT/030/S.51/C/V.111 directed area controllers at the major sea ports to act on the “approval of the President and Commander-in-Chief…for a waiver of import duty,VAT and other taxes on the importation of 290 units of assorted vehicles.”

     

     

  • Don’t merge NCAA, NAMA, NIMET, experts warn govt

    Don’t merge NCAA, NAMA, NIMET, experts warn govt

    The battle line seems to have been drawn between the Federal Government and stakeholders over the merger of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) as the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA). They are asking the government to reverse a decision which it has raised a committee to implement. KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

     

    Barring any last-minute hitch, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA), and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency ( NIMET), will this week become the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) following their merger.

    The proposal to merge the three aviation agencies follows the white paper issued by government on the report of the Steven Oronsaye led presidential committee on the restructuring and rationalisation of public parastatals , commissions and agencies.

    But as the committee set up by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, gets set to implement the policy, all is not well.

    Stakeholders are asking the government to reverse the merger or face its wrath.

    They say the merger negates the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which prescribed the separation of the operations of service providers from that of a regulatory agency.

    In 1999, agencies under FCAA, were unbundled to create the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), NAMA, NCAA, and NIMET.

    According to experts, of the 197 member-states of ICAO, 110 have separated their agencies to avoid collision between service provision and regulation.

    “Separation of provision from regulation is consistent with principles of good governance, the regulatory oversight function must be seen as independent and transparent,” ICAO said.

    Over 110 have complied with this principle and have moved on with the separation.

    Germany, United Kingdom (UK), France, Russia, Ireland, Canada, Ukraine to mention a few are some of the 110 countries that have implemented this resolution.

    Autonomy for the air navigation services provider and its separation from the regulatory oversight function is well established in ICAO guidance material.

    The Executive Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison, said the merger of the agencies is another attempt by the government to thwart the growth and development of the sector.

    Meggison said the domestic airlines’ body is opposed to the merger because it is at variance with prescribed international regulations, part of which it is a signatory.

    He said: “The airline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) disagrees with the Federal Government on the plan to collapse three agencies (NAMA, NCAA and NIMET) into one.The decision is against the ICAO regulation in Section 8335.

    “It is not right to have the NCAA as the referee and the player at the same time. NCAA has been established in compliance with ICAO set standards and practices .

    “We believe information that was given to the committee set up in 2011 to make that decision is obviously obsolete as per ICAO regulation.

    “It is baffling that countries, such as South Africa and Ghana, came to Nigeria to learn about our independent agencies and how they run as per ICAO regulations have gone back to their countries to implement what they came to learn from us. Unfortunately, Nigeria is attempting to go back to the obsolete form.

    “It will appear as if Nigeria was doing everything to fail the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) category one aviation inspection.

    “We know that the government is trying to cut costs because of the recurrent expenditure, but these agencies could be self-sustaining without government funding for their operations.

    “We, therefore, implore the government to take a second look at the recommendation because of the danger it portends to the industry at large.”

    Aviation watchdog, Aviation Round Table (ART), has kicked against the merger of three agencies.

    It said the plan was another wrong decision by the government.

    ART noted that the planned merger should not be allowed to see the light of the day.

    In a statement by Capt. Dele Ore, president and Sam Owolabi-Akerele, ART said: “ The merging of NCAA, NIMET and NAMA to form an agency of aviation is another ridiculous state of affairs for the aviation sector .

    “To avoid any further embarrassment, the contemplated merger should not materialise.

    “Once again, we have retrogressed into the 1995 era. This is another wrong decision by the government and it should be rescinded immediately.

    “Nigeria should not at this time, be seen to be working at cross-purposes to ICAO’s international standards.

    “It would not matter what kind of amendment is anticipated into the establishment Acts of the affected parastatals, Nigeria will be in violation of international best practices. This will be another ridicule to which this country will now be exposed to.

    “Section 30 of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 is explicit and no matter how we manipulate that Act.

    “The new FCAA will no longer be able to regulate air traffic control and meteorological services. The new FCAA cannot be a regulator as well as being a service provider.

    “This exercise was done without wide consultation with the industry and the government was misinformed and misadvised by so-called professionals to serve the own selfish end.”

    Also, Secretary-General, Nigerian Aviation Professionals Association ( NAPA), Comrade Adbulrasaq Siedu, described the merger as anti-development.

    Rather than succumb to the proposal for the merger of agencies, Siedu called on the Federal Government to scrap the Ministry of Aviation.

    He said the Ministry is not adding any value to the sector.

    Siedu said any attempt by the government to implement the approval would erode the gains so far achieved in the sector.

    Siedu continued: “We are part of the stakeholders and cannot fold our hands, close our mouths to allow the destabilisation of the past gains in the sector to be wished away unchecked.

    “It will be suicidal for Nigeria to decide to go back to a system which was tried and failed due to lack of compliance with ICAO practices and set standard.

    “We submit with all seriousness and act of patriotism, to strongly advise President Goodluck Jonathan to scrap the Ministry of Aviation and to allow NCAA to function without any hindrance as this shall be the solution to Aviation unabated logjams.

    “The functions of the Ministry of Aviation do not add value to the parastatals rather, it compound problems.

    “We call on President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the proposed merger as this is not the best way to sustain category one.”

    He advised: “Do not merge NCAA, NAMA and NIMET together but let them statutorily function under the supervision and regulation of NCAA in terms of safety critical issues and the sustenance of category one .”

    Besides, Managing Director, Finum Aviation Services, Kyari Sheri, said the merging was wrong, which must not be allowed to stand. “I think it is one thing that the government should try as much as possible to reverse as quickly as possible. What is on ground is an international practice so Nigeria should not begin to drag us back to what we used to be in those days.

    “In terms of safety, there is no way an organisation can regulate itself and it is not just possible.”

    Meanwhile, some aviation unions and professionals association in a statement in Lagos last week said the merger of the agencies would not stand.

    Speaking for the unions, Comrade Abdulkareem Motajo, general secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Captain Tarnongu, deputy general secretary, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and Comrade Ocheme Aba, general secretary, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers ( NAAPE), said the merger would fail.

    The unions said: “Having critically considered this development, we have come to the conclusion that this decision is highly in error, retrogressive and devoid of wise counsel.

    “We are, therefore, of the opinion that anyone involved with the aviation development in Nigeria will agree that the implementation of this merger plan would reverse all the progress made over the years and take Nigeria back more than two decades. Surely, this cannot be the desire of government.

    “As patriotic Nigerians, we believe that the government must have been misled into accepting the Oronsanye recommendation which would make Nigeria a laughing stock of the international community and bring her into disrepute on matters of maintenance of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as well as international best practices.

    “The intended merger of these agencies should, therefore, be stepped down immediately and allowed to remain as they are, which is in conformity with ICAO minimum standards.

    “We wish to state most profoundly that if safety and security of the Nigerian airspace is uppermost in our minds, we should discard the merger exercise and allow the aviation agencies to function optimally in accordance with their enabling laws.

    “The intended merger if sustained will return Nigeria to the era of self regulation which portends danger to Aviation Safety and the healthy and orderly development of Aviation in Nigeria.

    “This is the stand of the aviation workers, unions and professional associations.”

    Also, an aviation security expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu ( rtd), said the proposed merger is another disservice to the growth of the industry.

    He said in Lagos: ”Oronsaye must have been wrongly briefed by some egg heads. How do you merge operators of the industry with the regulator? This merger completes what Oduah started – bring the industry under the jack boot of the government. Must the government drive the policy, regulate and operate the industry? We must be in a world of our own and out of the earth planet.”

    Instead, Ojikutu added: “We should get the private operators to invest more on the industry or commercialise government operators, such as FAAN and NAMA as recommended in the privatisation and commercialisation Act of 2000, the government instead is appropriating the industry to itself alone.”