…Raps NCAA over license to 43-year-old aircraft
SAN FRANCISCO, October 28, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has denied purchasing four Limousines and Toyota Tundra vehicles for the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah.
Making a submission at an investigative hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Aviation, Managing Director of the agency, Mr. Nnamdi Udoh, said the controversial cars were actually bought by Landover Aviation Company for security purposes around the Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port-Harcourt airports.
Consequently, the committee has summoned the management of Landover Aviation Company, NAMA and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to appear before it next Monday with necessary evidences.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and his colleagues had earlier demanded the withdrawal of operational license issued to Westlink Airline, whose only aircraft is said to be over 43- years old.
Uzodinma lamented the recklessness with which NCAA issue licenses and Air Operations Certificates (AOCs) without recourse to aviation safety and regulations.
He accused the agency of issuing twice the number of certificates since the exit of the former Director General of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demureen.
“The issue of AOC is a serious matter. Since Demuren retired in March this year, NCAA has issued twice the number of certificates he issued throughout the period he was in office.
“When it comes to the issue of safety, standards and regulations, we cannot compromise,” he said.
According to him, Arc Air is one of the six airlines issued licenses to operate by NCAA under its former acting Director General , Joyce Nkemakolam.
He noted that most of these airlines do not own a single aircraft.
However, in the course of the probe, the Director General , Fola Akinkiotu, declined comment on issues bordering on the alleged N225million armoured car purchased for the Minister of Aviation.
He pointedly told the committee that the letter of summon sent to them did not prepare him and his men to undertake questions on the purchase of the controversial cars.
The only response given by him on the matter was that he was not privy to the purchase of the cars but has been relying on information given to him by other people in his office.
Akinkuotu said though he is the Director General , NCAA, he was not directly responsible or involved in the purchase of the cars.
When asked about the state of the country’s airports, he attested to the fact that no single airport in the country has been fully certified by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Akinkuotu also denied that the ill-fated Associated Airline plane was not on a test flight as alleged.
He said that although the last flight made by the aircraft before the crash was on August 30, it was due to lack of clients and not that the plane was not in good condition.
“They didn’t have any charter. Their flight schedule depended on the availability of customers,” he said.
He was however mandated to submit all necessary documents concerning the controversial armoured cars as he appears before the committee next Monday.
A member of the committee, Senator Ali Ndume, (Borno State), flayed Akinkuotu, for impunity and abuse of office, which, according to him, undermined human safety.
BY EMMA UCHE, ABUJA
