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Tag: NCAA

  • Jonathan picks Akinkuotu as NCAA boss

    Jonathan picks Akinkuotu as NCAA boss

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday nominated Capt. Fola Akinkuotu as the new Director- General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    This was contained in a letter from the President read by Senate President David Mark at a plenary in Abuja.

    The President in the letter entitled: “Request for the confirmation of appointment of a new Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),” said the former of DG of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren was sacked due to perceived poor internal audit and quality assurance in the agency.

    The letter reads in part: “Following concerns expressed by aviation stakeholders on perceived poor internal audit and quality assurance within the Nigerian civil aviation authority (NCAA), the Federal Government is in the process of restructuring the authority for better and more efficient service delivery.

    “Consequently, Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren has been relieved of his appointment, as the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, in line with the provisions of Sections 8(3) (a) and (c) of the Civil Aviation Act of 2006.

    “I hereby present the nomination of Capt. Fola C. Akinkuotu, from the same geopolitical zone as Dr. Demuren, as the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for the confirmation of the Senate.”

    Meanwhile, the Senate on Thursday confirmed the reappointment of Suleiman Barau as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    The lawmakers spoke glowingly of Barau when the Chairman Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Bassey Otu, presented the report of his screening.

    Barau was nominated for reappointment following the expiration of his first term as CBN’s Deputy Governor by the President.

    Also, Jonathan has forwarded a Bill to the National Assembly for an Act to establish the Nigeria Police Academy.

     

  • NCAA chief Demuren removed

    NCAA chief Demuren removed

    An era ended last night in aviation, with the removal of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General Dr. Harold Demuren.

    According to a statement by Sam Nwaobasi, Special Assistant (Media) to Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Demuren was removed based on his inability to respond satisfactorily to the concerns raised in the aviation sector.

    The statement reads: “His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has approved the removal of Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren from office as the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) with effect from March 12, 2013.

    “This is consequent upon a careful consideration of Dr. Demuren’s unsatisfactory response to the numerous concerns of stakeholders in the aviation sector.

    “Mr. President wishes him well in his future endeavours.”

    Speaking on the removal of Demuren, Comrade Abdulrasak Siedu, Secretary General of the Nigerian Aviation Professionals Association, described it as a big blow for aviation, saying his ouster would leave a big shoe for whoever will take over as director general.

    He said : “ This is a big blow, this will certainly have ripple effects in the aviation sector. It will be a big lesson for whoever is poised to serve this sector, to be pushed out of office, just like that.

    “Though, nobody is indispensable, Demuren tried his best for the aviation sector.”

    President, Aviation Roundtable, Capt. Dele Ore said it is most unfortunate that such a professional would be removed from office, likening it to the brutish nature of life where no position is permanent.

    Capt Ore said : “ If that is true, it is very unfortunate; that goes to show that nothing is permanent, life has to continue.”

    Demuren was appointed DG in 2005 after the Sosoliso crash. He is believed to have done a lot for the industry.

    Demuren initiated a process for the certification of Nigerian civil aviation, through what he described as the eight checklist guide, which led to attainment of Category One status in 2009,

    He coordinated the numerous visits of experts from the United States Federal Aviation Administration and other bodies that collaborated with Nigeria to reform aviation industry in Nigeria.

    With the attainment of Category One, facilitated by the NCAA, Nigeria registered, now flies directly to the United States.

    During his tenure, series of reforms were carried out in the aviation sector, which included the certification of domestic airlines , the revision of the Nigeria Civil Aviation regulations, as well as the hosting of many international safety conferences , which drew the roadmap for improvement of safety in Africa.

    The consumer protection unit was overhauled to address gaps in service delivery by airlines.

    He also facilitated the quick payment of compensation claims to families of victims of the DANA Air crash.

    He introduced a flight tracking unit set at the NCAA, a platform, from where all aircraft in flight are monitored, in addition to the mandatory directive that all airlines must install the Automatic Flight Information Recording System in their aircraft to achieve ground to air monitoring in the event of crash and coordination of search and rescue.

     

  • NCAA decries handling of physically challenged passengers

    The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, has called on airlines and ground handling companies to improve on the procedure for carrying physically challenged passengers into the planes.

    He said manually carrying such passengers is below the minimum standard prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). He urged airlines and ground handling companies to be prepare for the challenge by acquiring modern equipment facilitate the boarding of such passengers.

    He urged the airlines to acquire the equipment to reduce the pain of physically challenged passengers at domestic airports nationwide, saying: ”We need to do more by providing more facilities for physically challenged passengers who use domestic airports nationwide.”

    Demuren’s charge came on the heels of the the inauguration of Ambulift, a motorised equipment acquired by a ground handling firm, Precision Aviational Handling Company Limited (PAHCOL).

    The firm has deployed the equipment at both the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    Describing the equipment is key, Demuren said: “We at the NCAA are excited over what PAHCOL has done: this is good for the industry, as it would improve the way physically challenged passengers are prepared to undertake their travels.

    “It is glad that in Lagos and Abuja airports this equipment is now operational. But in the domestic scene, the way physically challenged passengers are handled is a complete mess, it is very far from the acceptable standard.”

    He said having such support equipment at both the Lagos and Abuja airports, is not sufficient, as passengers with disability travel through other airports in Kano, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Katsina, and many other airports.

    The way such passengers are carried manually at our airports when they are either travelling abroad or within for medical trips is unacceptable, he added.

    He urged Skyways Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) and Nigetian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc to collaborate with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to provide passenger support equipment to make the travel experience robust.

    General Manager, Operations/Business Development, PAHCOL, Herbert Odika, said this was the first time such equipment is being introduced by a ground handling company, saying: “The equipment has hydraulic lift to convey passengers through the rear door of an aircraft. Apart from the convenience of carrying passengers, the Ambu- Lift enhance facilitation of passenger”s boarding.”

    Odika said in the past ground handling companies used high loaders meant for cargo and baggage to lift wheel chairs, pointing out that with the introduction of the Ambulift by his firm, that passengers with special need do not have anything to worry about.

  • Bellview, AIB trade words over 2005 plane crash

    •’Why we rejected probe report’

    What caused the 2005 Bellview plane crash in Lisa, Ogun State in which all the 117 passengers died? It is becoming more difficult to unravel this puzzle as Bellview and the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) are trading words on the issue.

    AIB has blamed “human error” for the crash, a claim which Bellview deplored. The airline has also written the AIB, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAN), United States National Safety Transportation Board (NTSB), Presidency, National Assembly committee on Aviation and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    In the petition, the airline denies culpability in the crash, faulting the reasons cited for the accident by AIB.

    The bureau, it said, in a letter signed by its General Manager, Mr Rasheed Yusuff, has not formally delivered the (AIB’s) report to it, in contravention of annex 13 of ICAO.

    Bellview’s disagreement with the report is predicated on the fact that the AIB has not complied with the prescribed rules and regulations of how accidents reports should be released in line with ICAO requirements.

    The airline said the AIB, in line with the prescribed requirement of ICAO, has yet to communicate to it, nor respond to its observations on the final draft, which it has since submitted.

    The airline said in as much as it is determined to know the cause of the crash, the bureau has acted in gross violation of international rules.

    Yusuff said: “We want to put it on record that the AIB is yet to formally deliver the new report to us. This contravenes the regulation of ICAO contained in annex 13 of the global body.

    We are aware that AIB did not receive any contrary comments to the original report. The first report was circulated in 2009, we did not reach agreement with the conclusion, hence our comments should have been appended as provided above.

    “The state of operator in Nigeria and the state of design and manufacture in United States, conducted this investigation jointly. It implied that the investigators had enough time to gather all inputs before the final draft of the report was circulated in 2009. And when investigation is reopened, there must be a fundamental basis that must be shared with the operator to demonstrate that the investigation remain open and transparent.

    “AIB apparently unilaterally amended the final report without appending our observations and comments on the initial draft . This is in clear violation of article 6.3 of International CivilAviation Organisation ( ICAO), annex 13 and the 2006 Nigeria civil aviation act. This we contend has rendered the report invalid.We trust that you appreciate that AIB has an obligation to fully comply with 2006 Civil Aviation Act incorporating ICAO annex.”

    AIB said in its report of the Bellview Airlines crash: “After extensive investigation could not identify the conclusive evidence to explain the cause of the accident, but considered several factors that could explain the accident. They include the pilot in command training before taking command of the Boeing 737, which was inadequate. The cumulative flight hour of the pilot in the days before the accident which was indicative of excessive work load that could lead to fatigue.”

  • NCAA introduces revised civil aviation regulations

    NCAA introduces revised civil aviation regulations

    The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr Harold Demuren, has introduced the newly promulgated Volume 11 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2012 as amended.

    The introduction of the new regulation is a major landmark in aviation over sighting.

    The new NCARs Vol 11 covers Aerodrome and Consumers Rights.

    Speaking at the occasion, Demuren said the introduction of the regulation will boost the provisions of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 and help to standardise the operational procedures, implementation and enforcement in the industry in conformity with Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in the annexes of the Chicago Convention.

    Demuren explained that prior to the revised regulation, the industry could only boast of the NCARs July 2009 that covers all areas of aviation practices, except aerodrome and consumers rights.

    He said the amended regulation came at the right time to address certain conflicting issues pertaining to civil aviation legislation, saying,” when there is no law, there is no offence.”

     

  • ‘Interline agreement good for airlines’

    The implementation of interline agreement among domestic carriers will facilitate air travel, Managing Director, Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, has said.

    According to him, cooperation among carriers is the only way to make air transport seamless and cost effective.

    He said if airlines cooperate, the plan by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to facilitate interine agreement would not only reduce costs for airlines, but also make air travel less cumbersome.

    Bankole said it was time Nigerian carriers embraced global practices.

    He said the rationale for interline pact may not be unconnected with lack of cooperation and other operational factors that led to the collapse of over 10 airlines in the country.

    The implementation of interline agreement, he said would give airlines the leverage to tap from the benefits of economies of scale, which in turn would reduce cost for the operators.

    He cited a situation where Medview Airlines had some operational challenges with one of its aircraft, and had to transfer its passengers to another airline under an arrangement between the two carriers.

    Bankole said: ”If the cooperation and understanding did not exist between Medview Airlines and Aero Airlines, how would we have handled such passengers, who have already paid for the flight. With such arrangement, as tidy as it was, the passengers will always come back to fly with us. Our counsel is that more airlines should come together and forge cooperation, which is good for the survival of the business.”

    Last year, plans by the NCAA to effect interline agreement among active domestic operators, such that passengers could use one ticket to board any flight within the country suffered some challenges as the terms and conditions attached to the pack provoked a fresh row among carriers over which organisations hold the ace as the clearing house for all transactions.

    NCAA Director-General, Dr Harold Demuren, who confirmed readiness of the authority to effect the new operational regime said domestic carriers and other parties are meeting on how to achieve seamless operations.

    According to industry sources, though some operators have expressed their readiness to imbibe the new business model, some carriers are worried that if clearance matters are not properly sorted out, some of the airlines may back out of the new arrangement.

  • NCAA to acquire safety equipment

    NCAA to acquire safety equipment

    Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is set to deploy Aircraft Automated Flight Information Reporting System to improve safety.

    Its Director-General, Dr Harold Demuren, told reporters this in Israel, where he is on a pilgrimmage.

    Demuren said the new system would alert the authorities if there is any problem on board an aircraft, whether the aircraft is missing or not.

    He said: ‘’If anything happens on board, whether it is recorded or not, once it happens, automatically it would record on data based on hours and it would alert you that there is a problem and it would stream those data to us. Whether the aircraft is missing or not, you still get and see the data.

    “The good thing is that this data can be easily animated and you will see it in real life, how it happened, what occurred, so that there will be no speculation. You can log from it, you can learn from it and then correct it. That is all about that and that is the good news coming from us.’’

    He said aviation is safe, but regretted the tragic accident of June last year, involving Dana Air.

    “You must not forget that this is why we gave thanks to God that from 2006 to June last year , we have carried 50 million passengers, we have operated four million flights, not a single accident and then suddenly that accident happened.

    So our prayers and thoughts are with those families that lost their lives in that crash and those of the military helicopter, that God will grant all peace and joy.”

    On expectations for 2013, Demuren said: ‘’ My message to Nigerians, and expectations in 2013 as it relates to air safety, is to pray that the Lord God Almighty, our Lord Jesus Christ will bring perfect peace and safety in the air transport of Nigeria. It is very crucial; you have to remember that unless God builds the house, they labour in vain that build the house.

    “Unless God keeps the city, the watch men watched but in vain. It’s God that gives permanent safety and we pray God should use us as an instrument to give our travelling public a safe and accident-free aviation industry in Nigeria, and that is our prayer.’’

    On the recent call by the House of Representatives for his resignation, Demuren said: ‘’The National Assembly members are politicians; we are not politicians. We are professionals doing our job. The truth will come out and when it comes out, it will set everybody free.’’

  • Fed Govt urged to shun calls for sack of NCAA boss

    The Coalition of Nigerian Youth Organisations has described the demand by some individuals that the Federal Government should sack the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, as politically- motivated and unnecessary.

    Addressing a news conference yesterday, the group said the call for the sack of the NCAA boss was unwarranted and urged the Federal Government to ignore such move to rubbish Demuren.

    The group’s statement was signed by Comrade Etuk Bassey Williams, ex-president of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS, Wole Badmus, President of Yoruba Youth Frontiers, Uche Casmier, President of Ohaeneze Ndigbo Youth, Mr. Splendour Agbonkpolor, President of Niger Delta Youth Alliance and Mallam Musa Abubakar Yusuf, President of Arewa Youth Forum.

    The group said the allegations of negligence of duty, corruption and incompetence levelled against Demuren were insubstantial excuses.

    The group passed a vote of confidence in the NCAA boss and cautioned members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation to motivate Mr. Demuren in discharging his duty.

  • ‘Reduce NCAA’s powers’

    The federal Government has been advised to remove economic regulation of airlines from the functions of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    The Chief Executive Officer, Scope Cewntre Limited, a security company, Mr Adebayo Babatunde, said his suggestion would give room for eficiency.

    The Authority, the security expert said, should concentrate on safety to avoid of interest

    He said if this is adhered to by the authorities, it will give room for efficiency.

    He said: “Economic oversight of the airlines is part of the statutory functions of NCAA. I think it should be reviewed. In other climes, the civil aviation authorities have the sole mandate of overseeing safety and security. They have that mandate to focus on issues relating to safety and security of the aviation industry. That does not allow for any economic compromise.

    “A situation where the safety agency is also the economic organ, leaves much to be desired. So, going forward in the New Year, we expect a policy shift that will lead to an Act that will devolve the economic function away from the NCAA.

    “In South Africa, its Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for safety and security oversight, but there is an economic management committee that is set up under the civil aviation law that oversights economic and services rendered. The same thing applies in United Kingdom where another body oversees all economic issues.”

    He also called for the procurement of state-of-the-art security gadgets by the Ministry of Aviation for monitoring of the airports in 2013, adding that as the threat levels change, security apparatus and training should also change to combat crimes within the airports.

    Babatunde called for proper background checks of those employed into the security departments of aviation firms by the appropriate agencies, warning that if this was not done, it could spell doom for the industry.

  • ‘Don’t hold NCAA responsible for crash’

    Former spokesman of Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL), Mr. Chris Aligbe, yesterday cautioned against holding the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) liable for the crash of the Agusta helicopter which killed the former Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi.

    Aligbe, who is Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konsult, said military aviation is self regulatory and outside the purview of the NCAA.

    He said: ”There is institutional difference in oversight of both military and civil aviation operations.All the aviation agencies have no iota of responsibility over military operations. Even the AIB cannot investigate military air accidents. They do not come under the inventory of the NCAA. The military are self-regulating; they train their staff to the highest level. The military has full compliments over the regulation of their aircraft.”

    He urged the military to build internal capacity for their aircraft.

    On the call that military aircraft should be brought under the supervision of the ministry of aviation, Aligbe said such proposal will not work, because the NCAA has no competence to oversee military transport aircraft and other fighter jets in their fleet.

    He said: “It will not work, because the NCAA does not have internal capacity to regulate military transport planes and fighter jets. It is unfortunate that the crash occurred and some illustrious Nigerians, including the Kaduna State governor and the former National Security Adviser died.

    “Sadly, some people now want to frighten the travelling public, because of the questions over air safety in Nigeria, as it affects the quality of civil aviation regulation.

    “There is difference between military and civil aviation. Any professional that talks about it is not worth his sort. We all have to wait for the report of the investigation, because it would amount to being presumptive to hold such position. That to say the least, is against global standards.

    He explained that since 2005 when the aviation industry was bedevilled by series of air crashes, government has risen to the situation by facilitating infrastructure upgrade and other steps needed to improve air safety.”