2 weeks ago
8
Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has alleged that immoderate pilots operating successful Nigeria’s aviation manufacture fume Indian hemp and were poorly supervised by regulatory authorities.
Kalu made the shocking assertion connected Wednesday during Senate plenary, portion contributing to a question connected aviation information concerns pursuing the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau’s (NSIB) study connected the caller Air Peace runway incidental astatine the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The motion, moved by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North), president of the Senate Committee connected Aviation, drew attraction to the June 22, 2025, incidental involving an Air Peace Boeing 737-500 (Flight P47190) which skidded disconnected the runway portion landing successful Port Harcourt.
Buhari noted that though nary lives were lost, the incidental revealed “critical gaps successful information standards, infrastructure management, and operational compliance” successful Nigeria’s aviation sector.
He said the NSIB’s study exposed deficiencies successful runway conditions, airfield lighting, aviator decision-making, and regulatory oversight, informing that specified lapses could erode nationalist assurance successful aerial travel.
“The aviation assemblage is excessively captious to our nationalist information and economical maturation to beryllium near to chance,” Buhari stressed, calling for urgent corrective measures.
In his contribution, Senator Kalu accused immoderate pilots of being “careless” and unfit to run aircraft, alleging that immoderate indulge successful hard cause use.
“The authorities guiding these pilots, immoderate of them are precise lousy. Some of the pilots are not prepared,” Kalu said.
“Some of them fume Indian hemp and immoderate of them are not decently audited by the authorities. They are not doing it.
“Most of these pilots are truthful careless. All these agencies indispensable look aft these pilots and compartment staff. Some of the NCAA indispensable travel backmost to their duty. Also, immoderate of the runways are not successful bully shape.”
Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) backed the motion, calling for stronger legislative oversight.
“The important happening is for the committee to bash their oversight properly. Beyond urging this Senate to assistance these prayers, the committee indispensable beryllium up,” Goje said.
“You don’t gag with aviation. Any tiny mistake leads to nonaccomplishment of life.”
Goje besides urged the Ministry of Aviation to conception an further runway astatine the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Presiding implicit the session, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin directed the Senate Committee connected Aviation to transportation retired a thorough probe into the industry, describing aviation arsenic “critical to the nation’s economy.”
Following deliberations, the Senate resolved to impulse the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to urgently instrumentality the recommendations of the NSIB report; nonstop the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to fortify compliance monitoring, behaviour regular audits, and enforce planetary information standards; and mandate FAAN to rehabilitate runways, instal modern navigational aids, and supply capable airfield lighting, opening with the Port Harcourt International Airport.
Additionally, the precocious enclosure asked the aviation committee to prosecute stakeholders including NSIB, NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, and hose operators, to guarantee afloat implementation of the information recommendations and study backmost wrong six weeks.
A abstracted solution directed the committee to analyse aviation agencies and study backmost wrong 4 weeks, portion besides urging the ministry to fast-track operation of a 2nd runway astatine the Abuja airport.
Lawmakers besides commended the NSIB for promptly releasing its investigative report, describing it arsenic a measurement towards promoting transparency and accountability successful the nation’s aviation sector.
English (US) ·