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  • NAICOM urges NCAA on airlines’ insurance with local operators

    NAICOM urges NCAA on airlines’ insurance with local operators

    The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) not to allow airlines in Nigeria violate the local content law and insurance law by placing their insurances abroad.

    The development will not only stop capital flight but also deepen insurance business and increase its contributions to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel, who spoke at the Seminar for Insurance Correspondents organised by the regulator in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said airlines that insure abroad contravenes the Nigerian Content Development Act and Insurance Act. which require that all domesticated businesses must be insured with local operators.

    He urged insurers to be at the driver’s seat to ensure that the airline business is not taken out of the country.

    He said: “Any airline that insures its business out of the country has offended the Nigerian Content Development Act, and even if we leave that development Act, which is an Act of Parliament that came in 2010, there is Insurance Act, which requires that all domesticated businesses must be insured with us.”

    He said the NCAA should ensure that no aircraft fly without appropriate insurance.

    According to him, every airline is supposed to have an insurance policy that is issued locally, adding that underwriters having secured the risk can spread it abroad as insurance is an international business.

    He said: “Insurance is an international business; it is about spreading risks; we cannot keep all the risks here. But there is now a good working arrangement between us and the NCAA to ensure that there is zero tolerance on non-observance of these rules and laws.

    “They have been proactive in sending to us every certificate of insurance deposited with them for us to authenticate and confirm their genuineness. We are working very smoothly with them to ensure that we do not have aircrafts flying without the issuance of appropriate insurance.”

    Guidelines by the Commission on the Local Content Act and Insurance Act state that a person or organisation that intends to insure any property in Nigeria,  must place such insurance with insurers registered in accordance with the Insurance Act 2003 who may, subject to the Commission’s approval, reinsure the excess overseas where the local industry lacks the capacity to retain the risk.

     

     

    It further stated that no person or organisation shall transact an insurance or reinsurance business with a foreign insurer or reinsurer in respect of any life, asset, interest or other properties in Nigeria, classified as domestic insurance unless with a company registered under the Insurance Act 2003. Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel told The Nation

     

  • NCAA, operators disagree over cost of aircraft check

    Who should foot the bill for inspection of aircraft brought into the country – operators or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)?

    The operators, who currently bear the cost, are pushing that the expenses be shared with them by NCAA.

    But, quoting the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, NCAA is arguing that the law mandates the operators to pay its officials’ way abroad to inspect the aircraft.

    The operators are calling on the Federal Government to review the  practice under which airlines, underwrite the travel expenses of NCAA    officials designated to inspect aircraft abroad.

    They argued that since it is the duty of the regulator to ensure safety within the country’s airspace, it is incumbent on it to undertake the responsibility.

    An operator,  who asked not to be named said allowing the airlines to bear such costs alone, could eat deep ino their pockets, adding that “the people who are pushing for the sharing of the costs have a point.”

    But NCAA’s Deputy General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr Sam Adurogboye described the proposal as an attempt by some operators to disband the authority.

    He said: ” It is spelt out in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations. It  is a product of the industry;  it is not imposed. So, which operator is now asking for cancellation through the back door?

    “Anything to the contrary is a violation or non compliance to safety regulations.

    “I hope those canvassing for this mean  well for the industry and safe operations.

    “One,there is the danger of turning our airports to dumping grounds if the aircraft  that have been brought in eventually do not meet safety requirements.

    “We hope this is not just an attempt to take advantage of NCAA, the same way some of these operators have held on to the authority’s statutory income which accrued to it from five per cent Ticket Sales Charge  and Cargo Sales  Charge.

    “Whoever is behind the campaign is simply rooting for the disbandment of NCAA. They want to operate without oversight. This is dangerous.

    “Aviation is the most regulated business all over the world. If a man does not want heat, he should not go near the kitchen.

    “Aircraft inspection  is a universal practice and not peculiar to Nigeria.”

    “Apart from the airworthiness of the aircraft, NCAA inspectors also carried out  other necessary documentations including the age of the aircraft.

    “It is when the aircraft meets all the requirements before the NCAA can grant approval for it to be flown into Nigeria in readiness for commercial operations.

    “Under the guidelines, it is the operator that is expected to pay for the air fares and other allowances of the inspectors whilst the inspection lasts.”

    Meanwhile, a suggestion that NCAA should undertake the inspection of aircraft locally has been opposed by the Managing Director, Capital Airlines, Mr. Amos Akpan. He said such approval would not be in the interest of safety standards.

    Akpan argued that if such request is granted by the government, it would create room for operators to bring in  planes that may not meet the standards  provided for in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations of 2006 and 2009.

    Also faulting the suggestion that NCAA should inspect aircraft in the country, the Executive Chairman of the Airline  Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison, said the move may affect the development of the aviation industry as aircraft that do not fit Nigerian specifications on airworthiness could be brought in.

    He said the practice where NCAA inspectors carry out checks on  aircraft in their country of origin is better, adding that any rectification on the aircraft could be done before such planes are flown into the country.

    Meggison said the cost of aircraft inspection by NCAA could be reduced by buying economy instead of business class tickets for officials. Such significant reduction in travel costs, he said, will reduce the financial burden on airlines, who operate in a high cost environment.

  • ‘Why airlines cancel flights’

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) has explained why airlines  cancel or adjust their flights during the rainy season.

    According to the NCAA, adverse weather conditions which have the tendency to threaten the safety of any aircraft in flight is sufficient reason , for airlines to either cancel or adjust flights for which it would not be sanctions .

    Speaking in an interview, the general manager public affairs, NCAA, Mr Fan Ndubuoke, said the authority had made it mandatory for all pilots to obtain en route / destination weather information, before embarking on any flight.

    Such weather information, he said would assist the pilot to plan his flight to a sod flying into turbulent weather that could threaten the safety of the aircraft and the passengers on board.

    He said :” Airline’s pilots are mandatorily required to obtain en route/destination weather information before the operation of a flight. They are also required to abort a flight if the weather condition is unsafe for operation.

    “An operating airline shall not be obliged to pay compensation for cancellation if it can prove that the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures have been taken.”

    The NCAA  spokesman  explained that any air operator who delays or cancels flight due to adverse weather conditions is  merely upholding the Standard and Recommended Practices in the industry.

    “When wind shear occurs along the flight path, it causes abrupt and substantial displacement of the aircraft from its intended path which becomes extremely hazardous for aircraft taking off and landing.

    “In other words, the rains being experienced now may result in occasional flight cancellations/delays.”

    He however  advised  passengers at airports to demonstrate exceptional calm and understanding when flights are cancelled on account of adverse weather .

    In addition, he urged them to remain calm, avoid violence and confrontation with the airline officials as this measure is  to ensure their safety.

    He said : “We will therefore enjoin intending passengers to exercise restraint/understanding in the event of any weather related cancellations/delays”.

    “It is pertinent to draw the attention of both the operators and passengers to the rights, responsibilities and limitations of all the parties as spelt out in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2012.”

    He said  the Directorate of Consumer Protection (DCP) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) expects the airline officials to ensure sustained communication to the affected passengers if and when flight cancellation/delays is anticipated or occurs.

  • 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.

  • Don’t approve post-shipment inspection of aircraft, govt advised

    Former Managing Director of the defunct Capital Airlines, Mr. Amos Akpan, has advised the Federal Government against granting airline operators approval to import aircraft before the equipment is inspected by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    Akpan said in Lagos that importation before inspection would compromise safety which he described as “key in the global aviation industry”.

    Akpan argued that if such requests were granted, it would create room for operators to bring aircraft that do not meet the required standards as provided in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) 2006 and 2009.
    “There are pressures from some factions of the aviation community proposing that operators be granted permit to import aircraft and NCAA inspects it on ground Nigeria. Their reason: to save the money our NCAA inspectors spend on tickets and per diem on overseas inspection trips. We should not push for the passage of this bill. Nigerians will bring aircraft that do not satisfy NCARs 2006/2009 requirements. They will then use political connections to influence NCAA to permit them to operate such aircraft. Ordering them to return such aircraft will be difficult. They will cook the books and bring arguments to pressure regulatory authorities to bend the rules,” he said.
    On the zero tariffs on the importation of aircraft and parts, Akpan praised the government for the waiver, lamenting that, despite the gesture, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) was yet to take full advantage of the opportunity it had been clamouring for.

    He said the association had been unable to submit a comprehensive list that would give them access to benefit from the waiver.

    “The most frequently used items were not covered by the exemption. These are aircraft tyres and lubricants. Records from the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (nacho aviance) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) import warehouses in Lagos reveal all lubricants and tyres are dutiable,” said Akpan.

  • Why helicopters are not allowed to fly at night, by NCAA

    Why helicopters are not allowed to fly at night, by NCAA

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ruled out the flying of helicopters at night – for now.

    Its Acting Director-General Mr Benedict Adeyileka, said helicopters would not be allowed to operate 24 hours until NCAA completes the survey and mapping of flight paths.

    The Nation learnt that helicopters or rotary wing operators as they are classified, can only operate between 6.00 am and 7.00 pm in line with regulations.

    But helicopters operate at night in countries, such as the United States and United Kingdom, though under regulations.

    In these countries they are used to move men and materials to oil rigs.

    Adeyileka said NCAA would expand rotary wing operations backed by adequate policy and regulatory framework.

    NCAA, he said, embarked on survey and mapping of the airspace to identify telecoms, radio and television masts and other high rise installations to guide helicopters at night.

    He said apart from reaching the masts owners the flight paths, the authority also informed them to ensure that they have red lights to give signals to helicopters in flight.

    Until, he said, challenges hindering night operations are addressed, 24-hour helicopter operations would not be approved by the authority.

    Adeyileka added: “The NCAA will not just give approval for 24 hours helicopter operations until all issues are resolved concerning the litany of telecommunication masts that litter the flight path.

    “We will only approve night operations for helicopters until we carry out a comprehensive survey and mapping of all masts around the country . The essence of this is to give approval to the route that helicopters would fly without colliding into masts either belonging to telecommunication companies or radio or television stations.

    “Even some highrise installations, we need to identify where these obstacles are located, properly identify and map them, so that the helicopter operators will know the path to fly.

    “Until all these issues are resolved, the NCAA will only allow helicopters to operate during the day.

    “Though a few night flights may be allowed when are emergencies .”

    He continued: “Our plan to ensure that whatever the NCAA approves concerning helicopter operations is covered by appropriate laws and regulation.”

    Some years ago, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced a change in night flying regulations which will allow aircraft to operate under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in the hours of darkness.

    All civil aircraft flying at night in the UK must comply with Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).

    But, since June 2012, this requirement has been removed allowing pilots to decide whether to fly VFR or IFR.

    Visual Flight Rules are an internationally agreed standard set of operating rules designed to help prevent collisions between aircraft and the ground by ensuring that pilots fly in weather conditions that enable them to see a potential collision and take action to avoid it.

    Instrument Flight Rules are a more restrictive set of internationally agreed operating rules, which include additional measures to help prevent collisions between aircraft particularly when flying in weather conditions where pilots may not be able to see other aircraft or obstacles.

    This include cloudy weather with its attendant poor visibility in areas with high volume of traffic

    The changes are being made to take into account new and emerging European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations for pilot licensing and rules of the air.

  • 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.”

  • Aviation Round Table kicks against merger of NCAA, NIMET, NAMA

    Aviation watchdog, Aviation Round Table (ART), has kicked against the merger of three agencies – Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

    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 Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, headed by the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Mr. Steve Oronsanye recommended the merging of NCAA, NIMET and NAMA to form a single agency of aviation. The government has however accepted this ridiculous state of affairs. To avoid any further embarrassment, the contemplated merger should not be materialized.

    “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, when a Nigerian is the President of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO); we cannot 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 very explicit and no matter how we manipulate that Act, the new FCAA will no longer be able to regulate the making of signals and other communication by or to aircraft and persons carried in aircraft. 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 whole 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.”

  • Mixed reactions trail proposed merger of aviation agencies

    Mixed reactions trail proposed merger of aviation agencies

    There were mixed reactions yesterday on the proposed merger of three aviation agencies– Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET)–into the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA).

    Scores of aviation workers discussed the fate of their jobs, if the government implements the merger.

    The workers were scared that should the merger hold, they would lose their jobs.

    An industry player, who spoke in confidence, said the proposed merger was at variance with Article 8365 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

    The article stipulates that the aeronautical agencies should function and exist independently.

    The operator noted that at a time global aviation was going digital, Nigeria returned to the Stone Age.

    He said industry players were still studying the technicality of the issue to know the position to take on the matter.

    It was learnt that some stakeholders might contact ICAO President, a Nigerian, to prevail on the Federal Government to reverse the proposal.

    Aviation sector unions held an emergency meeting on the effect of the proposed merger.

    But some airline operators said it was a welcome development because the affected agencies were within the same purview in developed world.

    A former Airport Commandant at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Group Captain John Ojikutu, said whoever advised the government to merge NAMA and NIMET with NCAA did not understand the reality in the sector.

    The advisers, he told reporters, probably forgot to include the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in taking the nation back to the era of self-regulatory.

    Ojikutu said: “(Steve) Oronsaye must have been wrongly briefed by some egg heads. How do you merge operators of the industry with the regulator? This merge completes what (former Aviation Minister, Ms Stella) Oduah started: bringing the industry under the jackboot 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.

    “We should get the private operators to invest more in 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.”

    The General Secretary of the Nigerian Aviation Professional Association (NAPA) Comrade Abdul Rasaq Siedu said the decision was shocking because a similar step in the past was unsuccessful.

    He said: “It didn’t work by the former minister, Air Marshal Nsika Eduok (retd). It was practised and it failed. Secondly, the recommendation of Steve Oronsaye cannot work in our aviation industry because Nigeria’s aviation is not for Nigeria alone. Aviation is global and it is regulated by international bodies, such as ICAO, IATA and others. If they do that, Nigeria will lose Category One.”

    Captain Dele Ore, President of the Aviation Round Table, a think tank group in the industry, said: “What the government is planning to do is wrong. It will take us back to the 1995 era. And whether we like it or not, I give them two years, they will return back again.”

    “You don’t merge a regulatory body with a service provider. NAMA and NIMET are service providers; you cannot merge them with NCAA, which is a regulatory body, this is at variance from international laws laid them by ICAO and other relevant international bodies.

    “Who are the experts who did the report. Did they even give consideration to international convention and international best practices? Those are the questions one would love to ask. And whatever they do may be a big slap to our faces.”

     

    He said the decision should be jettison otherwise they will be disgraced.

    Also Ekanem Ekanem, the Chairman, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), the issue is not a question of merging NCAA, it ought to have being an autonomous body since NAMA provides the equipment to make the airspace safe.

    “Merging both agencies will make their administration very cumbersome. What the industry need is to optimise the operations of the agencies.”

    He said “Nigeria is an emerging economy, we should be allow to grow at our own space.

    Aviation is not where you carry out experiment because it is a global industry.”

    Ekanem reiterated it will give Nigeria the impression that things are not done here with seriousness. Government should rather invest in modern equipment and put in technically sound personnel in both agencies and also strengthen the regulations to make the more effective.”

    Other affirmed that If government is trying to save cost, it should not be at the expense of the operators and flying passengers.

    They maintained that the Federal Government would never mean it because they are going to resist it.

    “we will not allow Cat One to be toy with, NCAA autonomy has an act that establish it, NAMA has it own that establish it, FAAN has it own that establish it now has all these been cancelled.”

    Meanwhile, Aviation unions and stakeholders are strategizing to ensure that the recently announced merger by the Steve Oronsaye committee will not be implemented in the aviation sector.

    The committee in its recommendation proposed the merger of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority NCAA, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA and Nigerian Meteorological Agency NIMET to be known as Federal Civil Aviation Authority FCAA.

    In a swift reaction, the aviation unions and stakeholders have described it as unrealistic adding that it will be senseless to merge service provider and a regulator in the aviation sector.

    They declared that all over the world there was no where merger existed except for some small countries stressing that meteorological service in the country does not cover only aviation but agriculture, industry among others.

    According to them, over 55 county’s navigational providers were on their own saying that the government had ulterior motives.

    They urged the government to looking into the unemployment situation in the country adding that the merger will lead to loss of jobs in the aviation sector.

    According to them, the country was yet to know her fate on the recent FAA re-assessment of the country’s aviation category one status adding that the country was going back to the dark old days of five airports.

    They said those who recommended this to the President did not mean well for the country as President Goodluck has used the aviation sector to boost his achievements.

    The government on Monday said it accepted the recommendation to scrap some agencies, it was contained in a Government White Paper by the Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

    The Steve Oronsaye committee advised the government to merge the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NIMET) into a single regulatory body.

    The new agency is be known as the Federal Civil Aviation Authority, FCAA with their respective enabling laws to be amended accordingly to reflect the new name.