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Aviation Union Lauds Nigeria’s Performance In ICAO’s Audit
The Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has lauded Nigeria’s performance at the recently concluded International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Security Audit.
ICAO carried out a security audit of the nation’s aviation facilities from June 1 to June 9, after which Mr Steven Nue, the leader of the team of auditors, said that Nigeria scored over 90 per cent in the audit .
NUATE’s Assistant General Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Abioye told newsmen in Lagos the country’s performance had allayed fears regarding the state of security at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
“A couple of weeks ago, ICAO security team came to Nigeria for what can be described as routine security audit which was centred on the two airports in Nigeria; the Lagos and the Abuja Airports.
“The essence of this was to test the state of our security preparedness and compliance to Annex 17 of the ICAO convention.
“Basically, that exercise was conducted and Nigeria passed excellently,” he said.
The NUATE assistant scribe said prior to the audit, the union had had a robust meeting with the aviation authorities on what needed to be put in place.
According to him, one of the issues raised was the inadequacy of security manpower deployed at the Lagos and Abuja Airports.
“We observed that the number of aviation security personnel that were needed at the airport was inadequate,” he said.
Abioye, however, noted that there was need to harmonise the operations of aviation security personnel, the Customs and the Air Force in the common interest of the industry.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an aviator as the minister of aviation.
According to him, an experienced aviation professional with the needed managerial and political clout at the helm of affairs in the aviation ministry would accelerate the growth of the sector.