very interesting article.

things will only change for good when competent AVIATION professionals with proven work experience are placed at the helm of affiars within the aviation ministry.

as long as appointments at the aviation ministry and its associated agencies remain political, nothing will change.

The Cameroonian Government is to blame

Uyi Iredia: We the people are to blame: we deserve the government we get.

True. The fact that your comment has been liked only twice in all of 6hrs just shows the level of intellectual bankruptcy we're suffering as a nation. People don't get it! By our actions as a people (or as in most cases: the lack there of-) we are responsible for putting and/or letting these people be in charge. If we vote we're responsible; if we don't vote we're responsible; if elections are rigged and we take it with soft grumbling we are still responsible. We are docile, gullible and so consumed with our need for self preservation that we couldn't be bothered with patriotism.

People should demand results. If air travel is no longer safe, people should protest! Stop patronizing the industry so that when air lines begin to witness their losses they would improve services. Typically, we don't want to give up the convenience of traveling by air even when the chance that we could crash is as high a it is these days (Prayers and tithing would keep accidents at bay); and if that's the case, we can only expect more of the same.

It's also about time we had a functional justice system (if we can not get justice, burn the courts!), somebody needs to pay for all this gross negligence. Families should come together to file class action suits against these culprits ( be it NCAA or whatever air line is involved).

Actually A lot of people will blame the current minister for this but I want to hold off this and ask a few questions

1. Isn't this the job of the national assembly to make laws which would include Tax breaks for these airlines?

2. What exactly is the job description of an aviation minister?

3. Why aren't the airline owners and staff not lobbying the legislooters to at least debate this?

I feel a lot of Nigerians including educated folk have no idea how our government work. We need to look beyond personalities and start to build a system. Most people are quick to state that USA,UK and so on have a system that works but when we talk about Nigeria, the gist turns and becomes a finger pointing exercise based on personalities.

Even the current minister would like to work with a system that can allow her steal as much as she CAN whilst ensuring the safety of the lives of Nigerians. With that, I would think flying Nigerians and airline staff/owners should begin to lobby their looters to at least remove certain payments and reward 'safe' airlines like arik and aero with slightly larger tax breaks which will be renewed annually.

funkybaby: very interesting article.

things will only change for good when competent AVIATION professionals with proven work experience are placed at the helm of affiars within the aviation ministry.

as long as appointments at the aviation ministry and its associated agencies remain political, nothing will change.

Demuren was a competent aviation professional and the airspace was still unsafe. Personalities in a rotten system can not do much. We need to merge some of these agencies and pass a law like an 'aviation act of 2013' which will outline the rules of operating an aircraft in Nigeria and also encourage smaller airlines to do business and remain safe.

ow11:

Demuren was a competent aviation professional and the airspace was still unsafe. Personalities in a rotten system can not do much. We need to merge some of these agencies and pass a law like an 'aviation act of 2013' which will outline the rules of operating an aircraft in Nigeria and also encourage smaller airlines to do business and remain safe.

Demuren was there for too long and became complacent

the fact is the most important appointment in the aviation sector is that of the minister of aviation because it is he or she who calls all the shots.

we've not had any aviation professional as aviation minister in yearssssss. this has had a knock-on effect and its largely responsible for most of the problems currently being experienced in the aviation sector

^^^
This is you assuming the minister actually has the powers to establish fees, regulations and issue fines and sanctions in the industry. I do not think the minister does but even if she does, why would she want to change them? Why would a competent professional want to change it? Love for you and I? You already mentioned that Demuren got complacent yet still feel that a competent aviation professional will somehow not get complacent as minister.

A minster's job is overseeing the implementation of the policies of the government of the day in line with the ruling party ideology. Now if the aviation policy in place (excessive taxes and multiple fees) is draconian and horrible, the minister will implement these policies even if she is a competent aviation professional. Until we begin to look at existing policies and structures, changing personalities will not do much.

Barth Nnaji was a competent professional who went about implementing current government policy and even after his sack, and replacement with a slightly less competent fellow, the NIPP work is still going on.

There is a reason why you turn up at work everyday and actually do your job and it has nothing to do with competence. The day the reason can no longer be justified, even the most competent fellow will stay at home.

^^^^ and who pushes for these policies to be ammended if they are no longer workable or impacting negatively on the sector?

Is that not the responsibility of the aviation minister?

And who do you think understands and knows the best policies for this sector other than aviation professionals themselves

^^^^

Definitely NOT the minister. The minister in any system of government is akin to a foreman. A foreman is neither the architect nor building engineer nor owner of the building.

The people to push for policy change are a. THE MASSES and to a lesser extent the aviation stakeholders (airline operators, travel agents and even hotels). The policy is espoused by the party that would appoint or nominate a minister. A minister by default would not want to rock the boat and go against party policies. We can wager that it is the intention of the PDP to use the revenue from the NCAA to buy armoured cars for the minister; whether that minister is Oduah or Demuren is not relevant.

I will concede that the minister can suggest a policy change in a sector but that is not a primary task and as such will usually not happen especially in our climes.It makes some sense to appoint someone with a working knowledge of that sector but it is not a major criteria as you are suggesting for sanitizing the sector.

funkybaby: And who do you think understands and knows the best policies for this sector other than aviation professionals themselves

Airline owners, operators and staff.

constance500: Ask Gej...

Surely the FG is to blame. What are all those aviation agencies there for,just to buy to buy bulletproof cars for the minister?!

A system is only as good as the processes and procedures it operates with - and how effectively those processes and procedures are implemented, reviewed and updated. This is the primary function of the govt. agencies and by extension, the FG. It is sad that IMPUNITY has eaten into our system so deeply that mediocrity and utter ineptitude is the order of the day.

Nigerians need citizens' opinion platforms like @flyteXperience to make valuable contribution to the system.