Dana Air crash: Senate seeks sack of NCAA DG, revocation of airline’s licence

Posted by: Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja on January 30, 2013

The Senate yesterday asked the Federal Government to sack the Director-General (DG) of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren.

This followed the consideration of the report of its Committee on Aviation, which investigated the June 3, last year’s crash of Dana and Allied Airlines.

The Dana Airline crash killed 153 passengers and crew members. Others around the scene of the crash also died.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, presented the report of the Senate and House of Representatives Investigative Committee shortly before the Senate went for the Christmas break.

The lawmakers said Demuren should be sacked for negligence of duty.

Besides seeking the sack of the NCAA DG, the Senate also accepted a recommendation that Mr. Suleiman Akwuh, an engineer, who handled the pre-arrival inspection on the ill-fated Dana aircraft allegedly without prerequisite professional qualification should also be kicked out.

The Senate said findings showed that Akwuh was not licensed and type-rated on MD83 Aircraft.

It said Dana’s current Air Operating Certificate (AOC) should be revoked because it was not issued in full compliance with the NCAA regulations 2009.

The lawmakers said: “The appointments of NCAA inspector, Suleiman Akwuh, who did pre-arrival inspection on the ill-fated Dana Aircraft without the prerequisite professional qualification and the Director-General of NCAA, who employed and deployed the officer should be terminated.”

The staff strength of the NCAA, the Senate said, should be overhauled with a view to injecting technical and professional qualified personnel to enhance its regulatory role in accordance with international best practices.

It also said henceforth, the management and operations of NCAA should remain autonomous to avoid undue interference by the Ministry of Aviation.

The Senate said all air accident investigation reports should be made public.

It said NCAA should compel all airlines involved in accidents to settle outstanding insurance obligations and ensure that current operating AOCs have a reliable insurance cover as required by the Civil Aviation Regulations.

It said the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) should be equipped with modern laboratory facilities to enable it discharge its responsibilities, while the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) should be equipped with well-trained workers and equipment for the purpose of responding to air accidents in the country.

The lawmakers urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to recover the N35.5 billion Aviation Intervention Fund, which was extended to Air Nigeria, guaranteed and disbursed by United Bank for Africa (UBA), but was allegedly diverted to other uses.

They said the Federal Government should put in place a hangar of international standard through public private partnership (PPP) to reduce cost of aircraft maintenance by airline operators in Nigeria.

The Senate added that the Air Field Lighting System should be returned to FAAN without further delay.

It ignored the recommendation that the MD 83 aircraft should be phased out of the country pending further investigations, while the request that the Federal Government should create an incentive for indigenous airlines through special intervention fund was rejected.

Also, the recommendation that an age limit of 15 years be placed for new acquisition for passenger aircraft and 20 years for cargo aircraft was rejected.

The recommendation that NCAA should carry out a post-accident regulatory oversight on Allied Air immediately after the conclusion of investigation by Ghana Accident Investigation Department was ignored.

On findings, the committee said: “Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) did not comply with the procedure for the issuance of Airlines Operators Certificate (AOC) to Dana Airlines as it is stipulated in NCAA 2009 Civil Aviation Regulations.

“The NCAA inspector, Suleiman Akwuh, who inspected and cleared the ill-fated Dana crashed MD83 aircraft No. 5N-RAM is not licensed and type-rated on that aircraft.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/dana-air-crash-senate-seeks-sack-of-ncaa-dg-revocation-of-airlines-licence/

I saw it coming! All that media attention- make believe, wash wash, at the recent relaunching of the same investigated-Dana! Imagine. These guys plays with our psyche. Flying a known coffin. Basketmouth, u too much, how much did they pay you to partake in that so-called inaugral flight?

Funny how these reporters take their journalism. They write,

"accepted a recommendation that Mr. Suleiman Akwuh, an engineer, who handled the pre-arrival inspection on the ill-fated Dana aircraft allegedly without prerequisite professional qualification should also be kicked out.

LOL.

Anyway, whatever happened to the Minister of AViation and her silly comments some weeks ago about Dana?