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FG Names Airlines Probe Panel
The Federal Government, has ordered an up-to-date audit of all airlines as part of measures to forestall another crash.
For that purpose, a nine-member Technical Committee and Administrative Review Panel, headed by an aeronautical engineer, Group Captain John Obakpolor (rtd) has been set up.
Other members of the panel are Captain Austin Omame, Capt Dele Sasegbon, Dr Obi Aliu, F.C Onyeyiri, Capt Mfon Udom, Capt Muhtar Usman, Dr Tony Anuforom and Capt A Mshelia.
The Tide learnt that the panel is expected to do a comprehensive assessment of all domestic airlines and recommend to the government actions that should be taken to improve safety.
It is also expected to assess the financial health line of airlines operating within Nigeria, with a firm assurance that not only would the panel’s report be made public, President Goodluck Jonathan has also vowed to take firm action when necessary.
Briefing reporters immediately after the special Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in memory of the victims of flight 9j-922, Aviation Minister Stella Oduah said the committee, which has six months to complete its work was expected to come up with a comprehensive report on each of the airlines in the country.
On regulation, she said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), will be strengthened. This, she said, includes the implementation of the Central Bank/Ministry of Aviation committee recommendations.
The minister, who hinted about moving the black box to the United States for analyses, said, “at the site of the incident, there were people with AIB t-shirts; they were gathering information.
“They cut the parts from the aircraft, looking for clues. The information they obtained will be taken back to the lab for analysis to get exactly the reason for the accident. But, in addition to that, because we do not have a laboratory for the black boxes, we need to take them outside the country for proper analysis.”
Mrs Oduah also assured of proper diagnosis of the cause of the crash. “I want to also say that among the team that worked with AIB, are international experts and so, you are not likely to have collusion or reports that will have integrity issue. So, I want to assure that the report we will get will be a very authentic report,” she said.
On the nine-man panel, she said, “Mr. President has graciously approved the names of those that will be part of the investigative panel. As you are aware, there are two investigative panels that will be going on simultaneously; one will use the other as a resource, based on aviation global best practices.
“We cannot redesign ours; we have to do it in line with what is obtainable in the aviation sector. And so, immediately an accident takes place in aviation, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) commences investigation.
The reason is to ensure that we don’t have a reoccurrence and so we are very preventive in aviation, not to have this happen again. But, most importantly, is to determine the cause of the accident.
“The economic regulatory aspect of NCAA will be strengthened to monitor domestic airlines on a regular basis. So, whenever we see signs that indicate danger, we will be able to either shut down the airline or take precautionary actions so that we don’t get into a very bad situation.”
On the recommendations of the CBN/ FMA, she said, there is an ongoing committee between the Ministry of Aviation, the CBN, commercial banks and other financial agencies. They are set in the first place to ensure that domestic airlines are restructured. They are coming out with their recommendations today and we have read a preliminary report and so we will implement it fully.
“Mr. President has granted us that approval and when this is done, all the local airlines will have a transformed structure. And we all know that the reason why most domestic airlines have problems is because the structures within which they are operating are very faulty. So, we are fixing that with this measure”.
The minister also said the crashed aircraft was not the one that was investigated over the concern raised by Akwa Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio. She said the aircraft involved is abroad for repairs.
Mrs Oduah assured Nigerians, “Air transportation is still the safest mode of transportation. Our airspace is very safe. I hear people say our airspace is not safe, that is not true; we have the safest airspace in the world; we are very safe. What happened has nothing to do with the safety nets of our air space. And so I want to assure Nigerians that what happened on Sunday will not reoccur, by the grace of God. We will do everything humanly possible to ensure that we enhance our safety policies and procedures and we are doing that now to ensure that NCAA becomes stronger and their regulatory oversight is enhanced.
“With all the approvals we have got and with the transformation measures that is currently ongoing, in addition to institutional reforms that we started about a year ago, everything is on course. All these are to ensure we have safe aviation sector in Nigeria.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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