Nation
Experts Seek Probe Of Air Mishaps
Stakeholders in the aviation sector have expressed grave concern over a recent spate of air mishaps involving a military aircraft.
Speaking in separate interviews with The Tide source in Lagos yesterday, the aviation players expressed the belief that the Air Force should properly investigate the Beechcraft King Air planes on its fleet in order to prevent further crashes.
Former Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi advised the government to call for foreign experts to look into the safety, maintenance and other areas of the Airforce plane with a view to find out the root course.
Sanusi, who is also the former managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), spoke on the need to take a holistic review of the entire operation of the Air Force, with a view to ascertaining if there are specific problems that need to be addressed.
He said that all over the world, aviation has relied on Military Airforce for direct safety standard to adopt.
According to him, Airforce aircraft is reliable and efficient.
“I think we need to look at the operations of the Nigerian Air Force to see whether there are specific problems that need to be looked into.
“We have to look at the machines, maintenance and technical capability,’’ he said.
Asked whether the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority should be involved in the investigation, Sanusi said that there was nothing wrong as far as it would help in boosting the safety of military operations.
Speaking on the grounding of aircraft, he said that both the operators and the regulator can ground airlines.
He said that operators have the responsibility to ensure they operate in a very safe environment.
He said that the regulator also has the responsibility of ensuring the operators operate in a safe manner and also following laid down operating procedures.
Still, on grounding commercial aircraft, stakeholders identified airworthiness and overdue routine maintenance A, B, C, D checks as key factors part of key factors that could lead to the grounding of aircraft.
The A, B, C and D checks are the aircraft maintenance schedule and programmes that help to coordinate various inspection and overhaul activities of aircraft.
‘A’ and ‘B’ checks are lighter checks, while ‘C’ and ‘D’ are considered heavier checks.
Aircraft operators may perform some work at their own facilities, but often checks, and especially the heavier checks, take place at the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) company sites.
After a designated number of flight hours and pressurisation cycles, each aircraft must undergo a comprehensive check at a maintenance and engineering base.
Some commercial airlines operating in the country recently had their planes grounded.
The affected are the First Nation, Chanchagi, Sosoliso, ADC, IRS, Cargo Air and Bellview airlines.
President, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Dr Gbenga Olowu, told The Tide source that non-compliance with details of those maintenance checks carried out and documented could lead to the grounding of the airlines.
Olowu, however, said that many other factors could be responsible for the grounding of an airline.
He added that grounding a plane could also be due to human errors, technical fault or inadequate maintenance.
According to him, there are authorised MROs and licensed parts suppliers who supply tagged parts.
“Caution must be taken, however, not to patronise sellers of bogus parts untagged,’’ he said.
He said that security issues were delicate to handle but frequent that Air force crash in one single year could be due to poor oversight functions by its supervising authority.
The ARSTI president said that paucity of funds for routine maintenance, training and retraining of personnel or outright sabotage could also be responsible.
An aviation expert, Capt. Dele Ore, said that operators are by themselves supposed to ground their commercial aircraft if they failed to meet all aviation standard.
An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre is set to be established in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema /Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The initiative is being championed by the Omoku People’s Forum, a global association of Omoku elites, under the leadership of its President-General, Dr. George Ada Ubah.
As part of efforts to ensure the successful execution of the project, a prominent son of Omoku, Chief (Barr.) Dennis Masi, has been appointed by the Forum as the Chairman of the ICT Centre Project Committee, entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating and driving the initiative to fruition. Upon completion, the ICT Centre is expected to serve as a major hub for the training and empowerment of youths in digital and technological skills, equipping them to actively participate in the increasingly technology-driven global environment.
The project is also widely regarded as a significant step towards positioning Omoku as an emerging ICT hub within Rivers State, fostering innovation, digital literacy, and economic development in the region.
Concerned Rivers Chiefs For Peace And Development has said it formation was not politically motivated or has any links to political parties or candidates.
The group which said this at a media briefing at Abuloma in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area said it’s formation has nothing to do with politics.
According to the text for the briefing jointly signed by Chief Boma Kele Oyika it’s chairman and Chief Inemo T Ikama Deputy Secretary General said the organization is expected to focus on conflict Resolution, community engagement, collaboration with government and private sector actors
‘it mandate also includes promoting peace building initiative, supporting local economic empowerment programms and strengthening traditional institutions in our state and beyond as partners in governance ”
It said the body is led by a team of respected traditional leaders serving as trustees
“Their collective leadership reflects a blend of experience cultural authority and grassroots connection
“Key elements considered vital for addressing long standing,socio economic and security challenges in the region”
The release further says ” the formation of this organization comes at a time when communities in Rivers state continue to navigate between issues ranging from youth unemployment, environmental concerns and intermittent conflicts amongst the traditional rulers and beyond
“By bringing together influential traditional figures under a unified platform, the group aims at serving as stabilizing force while advocating for inclusive development policies ” it said
It also described its emergence as a new chapter in grass roots leadership and regional development
Earlier, chairman of the body, Chief Boma Kele Oyika said the organization will work with relevant authorities to promote peaceful coexistence in the state, reduce crime and promote economic development.
He said it is open to all Chiefs from the 23 local government areas.
The Chairman of The Nigeria Delta Chamber of Commerce, Trade, Mines and Agriculture NDCCTMA,Ambassador Idaere Gogo Ogan and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) Dr Samuel Ogbuku have challenged Niger Delta entrepreneurs to close the gap in Gross Demostic Products (GDP) differences between the region and that of the South Western part of the country by coming home to invest.
The two leaders spoke at a business round table organized by NDDCTMA in Port Harcourt
Chairman of NDDCTMA Ambassador Idaere Gogo Ogan, said to close the gap between the south west region which he said has a GDP seize of about #59 trillion and that of the Niger Delta which is about #34 trillion was to massively invest in the region.
He said no other persons can do this except sons and daughters from the region.
“For me I believe in statistics,I believe in data and everyday I looked at the data concerning development in Nigeria and from the GDP point of view, the South West has #59 trillion, that is the seize of the south west region economy, the second region following them is the Niger Delta region with GDP seize of #34 trillion,so there is a yearning gap of #25 trillion that separates the south west and the Niger Delta region, that is why we are here”
Ogan said the region has the capacity to close the gap and even surpassed it but regretted that indigenes of the region have chosen to ignore it in terms of investment.
“We need to close that gap .If we close that gap and even surpassed it,all the negative problems of militancy and unemployment will automatically erase “he said
Ogan said the event was organized to remind the people that past efforts of militancy and agitations have not led the region to any where
“That is why we are gathered here in this room “he said.
Also speaking Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC) Dr Samuel Ogbuku urged indigenes of the region not to use the problem of insecurity as an excuse to continue to deny the region of investment as every part of the country have in one time or the other experienced crisis.
Ogbuku said most indigenes have displayed high level of unpatriotism towards the region by taking investments that would have benefited the people to either Lagos or Abuja.
“With little threat we have left the city,we have gone to Lagos,we have moved our families to Abuja and Lagos
“If you go round GRA all the property, you will see,”to let to let”most of them are now empty “he said.
The NDDC MD said despite the fact that people from the region are doing well in the oil and gas, banking and other sectors, its impact are not being felt at home because they are stationed outside the region.
He said time has come for potential investors from the region to have a change of heart by coming home to invest.
John Bibor
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