TUC, NLC Urge Overhaul Of Aviation Sector

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on the Federal Government to strengthen the capacities of aviation agencies to make the nation’s airspace safer.

This call is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday and jointly signed by the President of TUC, Mr Peter Esele, and Secretary-General, Mr John Kolawole.

“We call on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority to strengthen their capacities to make our airspace safer.

“We do not know the circumstances that must have led to the crash of the Dana aircraft, but we do know that the flight was less than few minutes to its destination, the Murtala Mohammed International Airport

“The government must investigate the immediate and remote causes of this disaster.’’

The statement acknowledged that the nation’s airspace had been relatively free of disasters, and urged aviation regulators to build newer capabilities in the management of the airspace.

It said that fleets must be constantly maintained and upgraded to avoid future disasters and called for conscious manpower training, acquisition of modern equipment and enhancement of logistics.

The statement commended the Federal Government on its effort to upgrade most of the nation’s airports.

It said that there was need to review the Aviation Rescue Fund in order to make the funds readily available to operators in the sector to enhance their operational effectiveness and efficiencies.

The union commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the crash and those who died in the Bauchi bomb blasts and prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the losses.

“This is indeed a multiplication of sorrow for Nigerians at the backdrop of the unrelenting Boko Haram menace in some parts of the north.

Meanwhile, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to overhaul the aviation sector by reviewing the licences of all airlines operating in the country.

The president of the congress, Mr Abdulwahid Omar, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Monday while reacting to Sunday’s plane crash in Lagos.

“We urge the Federal Government to urgently overhaul the aviation industry and review the licences of all airlines operating in Nigeria. “Government should conduct proper check on the airworthiness of aircraft before renewing the licences of operators, including the foreign airlines.

“Government should also put in place a policy of pegging the age of aircraft operating in Nigerian airspace, he said.”

The statement added that the safety of air travellers in Nigeria should be paramount to the regulatory agencies and the airlines and not only on profit making.

It specifically urged the government to do a thorough, transparent and far reaching investigation of the Dana Air crash.

“We believe that government should not wait for such monumental disasters to recur before taking steps to protect the lives of air travellers in the country. “From reports, it is apparent that the crash could have been averted if the appropriate regulatory agencies were effective in their responsibilities, Umar stated.

“The airplane involved was alleged to have been faulty and said to have been to the knowledge of the management of the airline.’’

The NLC condoled with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the crash and prayed that God should give them the fortitude to bear the loss.