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Tag: Senate

  • ‘FAAN bought 202 vehicles’

    The Senate Committee on Aviation on Wednesday said the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed that it purchased 202 vehicles.

    It said that FAAN also confirmed that two Lexus Limousine cars and two Toyota Prado jeeps are part of the vehicles.

    The committee said that FAAN claimed that two of the vehicles were bought for the Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah while another two were purchased for the FAAN Managing Director.

    It said that some of the vehicles were bought for the use of directors of FAAN.

    FAAN MD, Mr. George Uriesi, had told the committee that the limousines were bought for N60m each.

    The MD said that he does not have information on the cost of the Prado jeeps.

    He also told the committee the cars were in the custody of an unnamed bank which funded the purchase of the four vehicles.

    The MD claimed that the Aviation Minister approved the purchase, while somebody whose name he did not disclose signed on his (Uriesi) behalf.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzondinma, spoke on the car purchase at the continued Public Hearing on the crisis in the aviation sector.

    Uzodinma said, “Investigation is still ongoing and it will not be fair for me to preempt it. FAAN did confirm that among the operational vehicles they purchased, four of them are armoured vehicles, two for the MD and two for the minister.

    “We told them (FAAN) to go back and put everything in writing and make a comprehensive statements on all vehicles purchased.

    “FAAN said that they bought a total number of 202 vehicles for different operations. So until they come back on Monday we cannot rush into conclusion. The MD FAAN said that they did a funding arrangement with a commercial bank.”

    He that said his committee will do a thorough investigation of extra-budgetary spending by the parastatals in the Aviation Ministry.

     

     

  • Senate, Fed Govt disagree over N18b SURE-P funds

    Senate, Fed Govt disagree over N18b SURE-P funds

    The Senate yesterday disagreed with the Federal Government over the whereabouts of the N18 billion meant for the payment of 110, 000 beneficiaries of the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) scheme across the country.

    The Chairman of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on SURE-P, Senator Abdul Ningi, claimed that the cash was diverted into infrastructural projects after it was passed in the 2013 Supplementary Budget.

    But the Director of Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu, said the fund was not earmarked for SURE-P by the Senate.

    Chairman of SURE-P Dr. Christopher Kolade had cried out two months ago, that the agency would no longer be able to pay the N10, 000 monthly stipends to beneficiaries of its empowerment programme from the end of September due to lack of funds.

    Kolade attributed his committee’s inability to honour its obligations to the 111, 000 youths it engaged across the country to the reduction of its N27 billion budget proposal for that purpose to N9 billion by the Senate.

    However, Ningi, at an interactive session with the SURE-P Committee and the Budget Office, said that the National Assembly had restored the shortfall of N18billion in the Supplementary Budget passed in April.

    Ningi wondered why there was a communication gap between Okogu’s office and the SURE – P Coordinators because Kolade’s team had yet to be briefed about the restoration of the money.

    The lawmaker said that the fund, based on available information at the disposal of his committee, had been diverted to other infrastructural projects by the executive, contrary to the position of the National Assembly.

    He, however, said his committee would write the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the development.

    Ningi said that the Senate Ad-hoc Committee would invite the Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to explain details of the exact amount being deducted from the total sales of petrol as subsidy, and how it amounted to N15billion monthly.

    He lamented that the previous efforts of the committee to invite Dr. Okonjo-Iweala were not fruitful because letters of invitation sent to her were not honoured.

    He said since Okogu was under the supervision of the Finance Ministry, the attention of the minister was needed to explain the anomaly.

    But Okogu claimed that the N18 billion restored by the National Assembly in the Supplementary budget was not specified for the payment of the unemployed youths but for infrastructural development.

    According to DG Budget Office, many Federal highways were in dilapidated conditions when SURE – P was conceived, hence it was the opinion of the Federal Government that a considerable amount of the money be spent to repair the roads.

    Okogu listed some of the roads to include the Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja Road, Benin-Ore-Sagamu Road, Kano-Maiduguri Road, Port- Harcourt -Enugu Road, East-West Road and the fixing of the railways.

    He lamented that the committee could not effectively coordinate the activities of the programme at the states and local governments level because of the autonomy of the two tiers of government.

    He, therefore, advocated a summit where the various challenges confronting the programme could be presented before the public for people’s contribution on how to tackle the problems.

  • Senate summons Warri Refinery MD over fire incident

    The Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) on Tuesday invited the Managing Director of Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, Chief Paul Obelley, over the October 22 fire incident at the plant.

    Obelley was asked to appear before the committee with top management of the refinery on October 31 to throw light on the circumstances surrounding the fire incident at the refinery.

    Apart from telling members of the committee the circumstances surrounding the fire outbreak, the MD is also expected “to give comprehensive details on the causes, level of facilities damages, fatality at the plant and efforts so far made to prevent further occurrence.”

    The committee is said to have decided to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the fire with a view to recommending prosecution of any person found culpable in the incident.

    The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had already claimed responsibility for the fire incident.

    A statement allegedly sent by MEND noted that “Hurricane Exodus” was intended to burn down the entire refinery.

    MEND allegedly said, “As long as President Goodluck Jonathan continues to rely on the unsustainable and fraudulent Niger Delta Amnesty programme, peace and security will continue to elude his government in the region. ‘Hurricane Exodus’ is on course!”

     

  • Jonathan seeks Senate’s approval for Lagos developmental plans

    Jonathan seeks Senate’s approval for Lagos developmental plans

    President Goodluck Jonathan has asked the Senate to include the Lagos State Development Policy Operation 11(DPO) into the 2012-2014 Medium Term Borrowing Plan of the Federal Government.

    Specifically, Jonathan wants the Senate to include and approve the sum of $200 million for Lagos State as part of the state’s ongoing DPO being funded by the World Bank.

    The request dated October 22, 2013 was read by the Senate President, David Mark, on the floor of the Senate on Thursday.

    It was entitled: “Request for inclusion of Lagos State Development Policy Operation11 (DPO) into the 2012-2014 Medium Term Borrowing Plan of the Federal Government.”

    It reads in part: “I wish to refer to the above subject and to inform the Distinguished Senate President that the World Bank approved a Development Policy Operation (Budget Support) for a total credit amount of $600 million to the Lagos State Government in the 2010 to be implemented in three tranches of $200 million each.

    “The first tranche of $200 million was approved by the National Assembly in the 2010 Borrowing Plan. The DPO 1 was implemented in 2011.

    “Unfortunately, the second tranche of the DPO 11 was not captured in the 2012-2014 Medium Term Borrowing Plan. However, given the importance of the second tranche to the success and sustainability of the first tranche, I wish to submit it for your consideration for inclusion in the current borrowing plan but with no additional funding request.

    “The World Bank supported Public Private Partnership (PPP) Project which was approved by the National Assembly in the 2010 Borrowing Plan with a total credit amount of $315 million and disbursed $15 million to date, after about two years of project implementation.

    “The World Bank has therefore embarked on restructuring of the project in the face of current realities in a manner that would release $200 million for allocation to Lagos DPO 11.

    “This is an action that the World Bank with the support of its Board can undertake. They propose that the $200 million DPO would enable the state complete some critical infrastructure projects including:

    Ultra-Modern Burns Centre and Cardiac and Renal Centre at Gbagada General Hospital; 27km Light Rail along the Lagos Badagry Expressway Corridor to Marina; and completion of the 70 million gallon per day Adiyan Water facility among others.

    “In the light of the above therefore, I wish to seek for your understanding and to request you to admit the Lagos State Development Policy Operation 11 (Budget Support) into the 2012-2014 Medium Term Borrowing Plan to enable the state consolidate the gains of the first tranche of the operation with no cost implication to the Borrowing Plan since the $200 million had earlier been approved in 2010.”

     

     

     

  • How to get UN council permanent seat- Senate

    How to get UN council permanent seat- Senate

    The Federal Government should seize the opportunity of Nigeria’s membership of the United Nations Security Council to pave the way for the country to become a permanent member of Council, the Senate said on Thursday.

    The upper chamber also said that the country should mobilize resources as well as assemble well meaning Nigerians to work towards the realization of the country’s aspiration to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

    The lawmakers stated this as it unanimously resolved to congratulate the country for its election to the Council.

    Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, who brought a motion on the election of Nigeria to the UN Security Council, noted that on Thursday, October 17, 2013, the UN General Assembly elected Nigeria to serve as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning from January 1, 2014.

    Ndoma-Egba noted that the election was the country’s fifth time since it gained independence in 1960.

    The Cross River Central Senator observed that the election was the second time Nigeria will be elected to the Council under President Goodluck Jonathan, the first being in 2010-2011.

    He noted that with the election, Nigeria has once again been placed at the centre stage of global politics.

    He prayed the Senate to resolve to congratulate President Jonathan, the government and people of Nigeria on the landmark achievement.

    The prayer was unanimously adopted.

    Senate President, David Mark, in his contribution noted that the fact that Nigeria had been elected into the Council consecutively is an indication of the country’s recognition.

    He noted that the important thing is that “whoever is our representative in the Council must be alert, up and doing and up to the task.”

    Mark added, “Collectively, we have to put our heads together and put our resources together to prove to Africa and indeed the world that we deserve the position of permanent membership of the Security Council.”

     

     

  • ASUU ‘wants N1.5tr’ to end strike

    ASUU ‘wants N1.5tr’ to end strike

    The Senate on Wednesday said that the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) wants N1.5 trillion to end its ongoing strike.

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, released the figure in his contribution on a motion urging the striking lecturers to call off their strike.

    The motion sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, and 106 others is entitled: “Appeal to Academic Staff Union of Universities to call off the strike action and return to work.”

    Chukwumerije, who read the controversial 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU, said that part of the component of the agreement on funding stipulated that “all regular federal universities shall require the sum of N1.5 trillion for the period 2009 to 2011.

    He said that ASUU is insisting that the agreement must be implemented to the latter.

    He said the agreement also said that “This money is to be paid in three installments, 2009 – almost N500 billion; 2010 – almost N500 billion and 2011 – almost N506 billion.

    Apart from the N1.5 trillion the agreement also stipulated that “each state university shall require N3.6 million” while “a minimum of 26 per cent of the annual budget should be allocated to education.”

    According to him, the agreement also said that “education should be put on First Line Charge” while the Education Tax Act should be amended to its original concept as High Education Fund.”

    He noted that the agreement said that “Governing Council of Universities should access and effectively utilize from Education Tax Fund funds for research, training and development of academic staff.”

    Other components of the agreement included Salary Structure of Academic Staff of Nigerian universities and earned academic staff allowances.

    The earned academic staff allowances include: “Post graduate supervision allowances; teaching practice and industrial allowances; honorarium for external moderation of undergraduate and postgraduate examination system, postgraduate study grants; external assessment of readers or professors, call duty and clinical duty and hazard allowance and excess workload allowance.”

     

  • Blaming National Assembly for high cost of governance is escapist, says Ndoma-Egba

    Blaming National Assembly for high cost of governance is escapist, says Ndoma-Egba

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba spoke with Assistant Editor Onyedi Ojiabor and Sanni Onogu on the alleged jumbo pay for members of the National Assembly.

    THE high cost of governance in the country remains an issue. The National Assembly is accused of being a major source of the drain…

    Let us put the cost of governance in perspective. First of all, you know for the many years that we had military rule, the National Assembly did not exist.

    For almost 30 years of our post independence existence, we did not have a National Assembly. And in those 30 years that the National Assembly did not exist, the cost of governance was still an issue.

    I remember I was commissioner under the military and one of the most topical issues was the cost of construction in Nigeria. It was said to be the highest in the world. That is cost of governance because it is public procurement.

    That was when the National Assembly did not exist. The cost of governance was still an issue. So, the issue of cost of governance has nothing to do in my view with the National Assembly.

    And let us come to the figures. We have maintained a budget of N150 billion in the last four or five years. Our figure has been the same. That of the judiciary has been dwindling, from N97 billion four years ago to about N60 billion.

    What has been the trend for the executive? Has it been stagnant like the National Assembly or has it dwindled like the judiciary?

    I don’t think so. That of the executive has continued to go up. Now, what is the ratio or the percentage of N150 billion, out of a national budget of approximately N4.8 trillion? It is about three per cent. So, why do we have this fixation on three per cent of the budget and not on 97 per cent of the budget? Three per cent of the budget is getting 97 per cent attention and 97 per cent of the budget is getting three per cent attention.

    What is the fixation? And now the impression out there is that ‘oh you collect this N150 billion and just share it among members of the National Assembly.

    Nothing can be more fallacious. Because one, the N150 billion includes our capital, it includes recurrent, it includes the salaries of 109 Senators, 360 members of the House of Representatives, their aides – we have a maximum of six aides – it includes the salaries of the civil servants from the Clerk to the National Assembly to the Deputy Clerk, to the Clerk of Senate, Clerk of House and to all the civil servants here down to the lowest cleaner.

    It includes the salaries of the National Assembly Service Commission, from the Chairman his Commissioners, down to the civil servants there to the lowest cleaner. It includes the salaries and allowances of the National Institute of Legislative Studies, from the Director General through the many Professors down to the cleaner. It includes our subscriptions to international parliamentary organisations. The total running cost of the National Assembly is that N150 billion out of a budget of N4.8 trillion.

    What does it cost to maintain the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation? Do we know? What does it cost to maintain a senior manager in NNPC? I am not talking of the Managing Director. Do we know? What does it cost to maintain a senior manager in Petroleum Technology Development Fund? Do we know? What does it cost to maintain a senior manager in Central Bank of Nigeria? Do we know?

    How do we reach a conclusion that this is the source of the drain when we don’t know what is happening elsewhere. It is only when you have a holistic picture of the cost of governance that you can compare. How much does it cost to keep a Minister?

    Members of the National Assembly are also accused of flamboyant life style every where they go.

    When they say we are flamboyant, do you know any senator that has a convoy? I am the Senate Leader. If you go downstairs, I drive in one car. It is only the presiding officers that have a convoy. Every other senator moves in one vehicle.

    Do you see a minister move in one vehicle? All ministers have convoys. All. So, picking or looking for a scapegoat to blame on the cost of governance is escapist as far as I am concerned. You can’t talk about the cost of governance when you don’t talk about cost of procurement, the cost of running every office. What does it cost this country to run the office of a chief executive of a parastatal? How many parastatals do we have? You have more parastatals than you have members of the National Assembly. So, I think we are being escapist and in the approach we are now reducing it to scapegoatism, tokenism.

    If you catch the National Assembly, then, that is where the cost is. When the National Assembly did not exist for 30 years, the cost of governance was an issue in this country. It has always been an issue.

    Members of the National Assembly are also accused of awarding themselves outrageous salaries, travel allowances and oversight function allowances…

    You talked about salaries. I just collected a report of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission last week. It is the RMAFC that fixes salaries for everybody and you can compare the salary they fix for us. Is it any different from what a minister earns or the Supreme Court Justice earns or the Chief Executive of a parastatal earns? It is not different.

    So why are you insisting, if we all earn the same? Why are you insisting that my own is jumbo, their own is not jumbo. You talked about traveling allowances. When I am going on official duty, am I suppose to pay for it from my pocket? When you go on official duty do you pay for it from your salary? When a Minister is going on official duty does he pay for it from his salary? When a chief executive is going on official duty, does he pay from his salary? When a Judge is going on official duty, does he pay from his salary?

    So, how come we expect National Assembly members to go on official duties from their salaries? Why are you holding us to different standards? You have one standard for other top public officers and another standard for National Assembly members. All the trips you referred to are funded from the same N150 billion. So, if you take the salaries plus the trips, flam

  • Senate to probe purchase of bullet-proof cars

    Senate to probe purchase of bullet-proof cars

    The Senate Committee on Aviation on Tuesday said that it will carry out thorough investigation into the controversial N255million armoured cars purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Hope Uzodinma, denied that the upper chamber was unduly delaying in ordering investigation into the alleged car scam.

    Uzodinma explained that the embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah and heads of agencies under her ministry, did not appear before the Senate on Tuesday because his committee is yet to formally invite them.

    Speaking to reporters after plenary in Abuja, the lawmaker stated that the Senate had just approved the votes and proceedings of its sitting on October 8, where the Senate resolved to summon Oduah and other heads of aviation parastatals over frequent air mishaps in the country.

    Uzodinma said: “With the approval of the votes and proceedings of the last Senate session today (Tuesday), containing the summoning of the minister, our committee will now meet within the week to fix the date to invite the minister and other relevant aviation chiefs for questioning on the troubled sector.”

    On why the Senate has not commenced investigation into the N225million bullet proof cars allegedly bought by the NCAA for the use of the minister, Uzodinma said the Senate can only speak after thorough investigation.

    He said, “As the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, I have read a lot on the alleged scandal in the media and I believe other members of the committee are also up to date on the raging issue.

    “However, we cannot jump into the fray of the controversy like that in the strength of media information alone without properly checking our records for facts and figures on whether the alleged vehicles bought were appropriated for or not by the agency that purchased them.

    “Our appeal to the general public for now is that they should exercise patience on the entire crisis bedevilling the aviation sector as the Senate and in particular, its committee on aviation will surely carry out thorough investigation to unravel all issues behind the whole crisis.”

     

  • Senate, minister disagree over CAC board appointment

    Senate, minister disagree over CAC board appointment

    The Senate and the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, on Thursday disagreed over proposed amendments to the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

    The Senate and the minister spoke at a public hearing on the proposed amendment to the CAMA in Abuja.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade, Senator Odion Ugbesia, had explained that the Bill entitled: “Companies and Allied Matters Act CAP. 20, LFN 2011, Amendment Bill 2013” seeks to empower the Upper Chamber to approve the appointments of board members and the budget of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    Ugbesia said: “The highlight of this amendment is to subject the appointment of the Chairman, members of the Board of Corporate Affairs Commission, to the confirmation of the Senate.

    “Similarly, the Bill seeks to subject the Commission’s annual budget to the scrutiny and approval of the National Assembly, as the institutional arm of government vested by the constitution with the power of appropriation.”

    He added: “In an emerging democracy such as ours, this is certainly an aberration. The minister is neither an appropriating authority nor the President.

    “The time has come for all to stand up and be counted on the side of the constitution which we all swore to uphold and protect by putting a stop to this objectionable practice.”

    However, Aganga faulted the Senate on the proposed amendment.

    Aganga said the proposed action of the Senate would infringe on the powers and independence of the executive to appoint competent and qualified professionals to manage the affairs of the CAC.

    He insisted that since the budget of the CAC, like other agencies and parastatals, is always part of the national budget presented to the National Assembly annually, there was no need to demand for a separate budget from the agency.

     

     

  • Anger in Senate over frequent plane crashes

    Anger in Senate over frequent plane crashes

    Minister, others summoned

    There was anger in the Senate yesterday over the “resurgence” of plane crashes.

    Aviation Minister Stella Oduah has been summoned to explain why planes are dropping.

    She is also to explain the state of the sector.

    The Senate Committee on Aviation is to investigate the October 3 crash in Lagos of Associated Aviation’s plane conveying the remains of the late former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu to Akure for burial.

    Also invited are chief executives of aviation agencies who are to answer questions on the state of the sector.

    The Senate relied on Section 67(2) of the Constitution (as amended), which empowers it to invite any official of the government for questioning on national issues.

    The lawmakers expressed frustration over air disasters.

    Senators took turns to lament the rot in the sector and sought immediate steps to remedy the situation to avoid “avoidable deaths” and destruction of property.

    It all began with a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West), titled “Crash of Associated Airlines airplane”

    Uzodinma said Nigerians had witnessed a record of seven fatal air mishaps and averted crashes within the last two and half years, which, according to him, is unprecedented in the history of plane crashes in the country.

    He listed the crashes to include

    •Allied Airlines (cargo Aircraft), which crashed on 2nd June 2012 in Accra, Ghana, killing about 10 people on the ground.

    •Dana Airlines, which crashed on 3rd June 2012 in Lagos, killing about 153 persons on board.

    •Nigeria Police Force helicopter, which crashed on 23rd March 2012, killing the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), John Haruna, and three other officers on board and several other people in Kabong Village, Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State.

    •Odenegene Air Service (OAS Helicopter), which crashed on a flight to Akure in 2012, killing all on board.

    •Taraba State Governor’s aircraft, which crashed in Adamawa State while attempting to land in October, 2012, injuring Governor Danbaba Suntai and others.

    •Associated Aviation, which crashed on 3rd October in Lagos 2013 in Lagos, killing 16 persons on board, four are injured.

    •Augusta 109 Helicopter, which crashed in Bayelsa State, killing the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi, and the Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa, two naval pilots and two aides on December 15, 2012.

    It also recalled the near mishap of a Kabo aircraft conveying Sokoto Pilgrims averted on October 4.

    Another averted air crash, he said, was a Maxi aircraft conveying Taraba Pilgrims on October 4.

    Uzodinma said he was worried that the resurgence of plane crashes since 2011 was “suggestive of a deep-seated system problem that must be unravelled and resolved to avert further and unnecessary loss of lives.”

    He acknowledged that the frequent crashes have robbed the country of some of her best and brightest citizens who have served the nation gallantly in their capacities at various levels.

    He prayed the Senate to condemn the resurgence of plane crashes in Nigeria and the inability of the agencies to unearth the causes of the incidents.

    He also prayed the chamber to mandate the committee on aviation to as a matter of urgency, investigate the cause(s) of the crash and ascertain the level of compliance by agencies with the recent resolution of the Senate on the Dana Air crash on air safety.

    He urged the Senate to mandate the Aviation Committee to investigate and identify lapses in the operation of laws and regulations guiding aviation by the ministry and all its agencies with a view to correcting and streamlining same to avert further untoward disasters.

    Uzodinma asked the Senate to observe a minute silence in honour of the victims of the Associated Aviation crash.

    All the four prayers were adopted unanimously.

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba said the Minister of Aviation should be invited to brief the Senate in plenary on the state of the sector.

    Ndoma-Egba, who relied on Section 67(2) of the Constitution, said that there was no doubt that with the sheer number of air crashes, Nigeria is in a state of emergency.

    The prayer was also unanimously adopted.

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), who seconded the motion, said that the Senate needed to go beyond the surface to address systemic problems in the aviation sector.

    Abaribe noted that while considering the report of the Dana Air crash, the Senate made far reaching resolutions about how to solve the problems.

    He wondered how far the resolutions had been complied with.

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) said it was unbecoming of the aviation minister to have said that air mishaps were inevitable.

    Mrs. Tinubu also said that the Senate should look at the state of the runways at the airports, describing them as the “worst in world”.

    She said: “The Minister of Aviation actually said that you cannot really avoid disaster in air travel.

    “It was quite scary because air travel is supposed to be the safest.

    “So, for an aviation minister to say that, we really have to look into the statement credited to the minister. Is the minister supposed to frighten Nigerians that each time they travel they are supposed to be afraid? That is a question that requires answer.

    “I want the Senate to look at the state of our runways. Are the runways in good condition? Have we ever considered the take-off and landing of our aircraft? Our runways are probably the worst runways on this planet.

    “We all travel abroad; we’ve been to various airports and each time I land even at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos that is supposed to be the busiest airport in the country, I weep for Nigeria.

    “While we look at the state of our aircraft, we should not forget to consider the runways. The Senate Committee on Aviation should look at the entire aviation industry.

    “We don’t just pick on one issue because we had disaster and leave the rest. It should be holistic.

    “We should stop playing politics with the lives of our people. Enough is enough. We have to make sure that this Seventh Senate, we consider issues as they are and always do the right thing so that we all will be glad that we served in this Seventh Senate.”

    Most other Senators who contributed to the motion had one tale of woes or the other to tell about the aviation sector.

    Senator Ita Enang said that the minister concentrated more on infrastructure without paying attention to the health of aircraft.

    Senator Bukola Saraki said that the greatest respect the Senate could pay those who died in the ill-fated Associated Aviation was to ensure that the right thing was done at all times, especially ensuring the previous resolutions of the Senate were implemented.

    Senator Thompson Sekibo said that it was disheartening that the number of those who die in accidents are 10 times more than those killed by AIDS and other illnesses.

    Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi said that the kinds of calamity frequently witnessed in the country were avoidable.

    The Senate, he said, should always speak truth to power in the interest of the country.

    Adetunmbi noted that provision of physical infrastructure does not automatically translate to reform.

    Urging the Senate not to overlook the failure of regulation in air crashes, he noted that reform has to do with people.

    The Ekiti State-born lawmaker concluded that “there is failure of leadership in the aviation sector”.

    Senator Smart Adeyemi noted that the plane crashed because of corruption.

    He said he discovered that the ill-fated plane was on a test flight.

    He said that the plane should not have carried any passenger.

    He said that nobody has bothered to ask why there were engineers in the ill-fated Associated Aviation plane.

    According to him, because it was a test flight, engineers were in the aircraft to observe the flight.

    For him, corruption in the sector must be checked for sanity to return to the sector.

    The Senate yesterday adjourned plenary to October 22 to allow its committees to complete pending reports.

    The plane flew on August 22 and 30, a source in the airline said. “It was no test flight and it was normal to have one or two engineers on board,” he said.