Lagos Assembly urges Reps to conduct enquiry
By Oziegbe Okoeki 1 hour ago
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Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji •Lawmakers demand resignation of Aviation minister


The Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday urged the House of Representatives to probe the immediate and remote causes of the Dana Air crash on Sunday and make its findings public.

Saka Faunmi, who represents Ifako-Ijaye 1 Constituency – where the disaster occurred - raised a motion under Matter of Urgent Public Importance.

He said the decadence in aviation is due to the “consistent and persistent neglect of the relevant agencies of government in exercising necessary regulations”.

According to him, this has resulted in airlines ignoring checks on their aircraft and risking the lives of Nigerians as well as destroying people’s confidence in the industry.

Olatunji Edet (Oshodi/Isolo II) said Dana Air should be charged with “manslaughter” because of its alleged negligence that led to the crash.

He said: “Dana Air must be sued for its negligence and ineptitude that claimed the lives of innocent Nigerians because it was learnt that the aircraft was faulty and it could not fly in Uyo. But few minutes later, the Dana management was said to have ordered the aircraft to take off from Abuja without any consideration for the people’s lives. The airline operator must be mandated to face the music and those who are culpable must be brought to book.”

Rotimi Olowo (Shomolu I) blamed the crash on the relaxed government policy in aviation.

The lawmaker noted that if there were strict laws on passengers’ safety, no airline - local or international - would toy with the people’s lives.

He said: “In less than 10 days, we have been mourning; not because God hates us but because our government is not sensitive to the people’s lives and property. Many lives were lost in the last week twin accidents on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Thereafter, the mother of all tragedy struck last Sunday, when about 153 people died instantly.

“Government policy is one of our problems, because the government refuses to fix the roads and ensure that aviation policy is effective. We should beg Mr. President to find a lasting solution to this ugly incident because we cannot continue to fold our arms and watch people die like chickens.”

Moshood Oshun (Lagos Mainland II) said whenever a disaster claims people’s lives in Nigeria, some people refer to the Western world.

The lawmaker noted that though people are calling for the probe of the crash, they should ask the government for the outcome of previous probes of plane crashes.

He said: “It is sad that we usually make reference to the Western world whenever a sad event occurs in Nigeria. My question is: what have we learnt from what happened in the last few years? If the government institutes a probe panel, what will come out of it?

“Until somebody is held culpable and dealt with very seriously, such incidents will continue to recur. It is not enough to set up a probe panel. Are we really ready to sincerely do something to prevent future occurrence?”

Rasaq Balogun (Surulere I) said Aviation Minister Stella Oodua should resign immediately.

He said: “This is because you cannot pretend to be active when many lives are being lost due to the negligence and ineptitude of your ministry. It was indeed a sad day and it could have been anyone of us. The Federal Government needs to do something urgently to prevent future occurrence.”

Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji noted that lack of maintenance culture has been the major problem of local airlines.

He said aircraft are allowed to fly for as long as they like, notwithstanding the age of the engines.

Ikuforiji said: “The year of the aircraft is not the problem, as agitated by many people. But lack of maintenance culture has been the problem of local airlines in Nigeria. We need to talk to ourselves as Nigerians to know exactly what is wrong with us. This is because it is virtually everything that we do wrong. If we do something right, it appears it happened by mistake.

“Aircraft are made to fly for as long as many years as possible. But what do the operators do with them? It appears we don’t care much about people’s lives. In the past 33 years, we have had more than 40 air crashes that claimed many lives, despite the fact that air transportation is believed to be the safest. The avoidable ghastly accidents happened last Thursday and Friday and early last Sunday. Boko Haram also struck in Bauchi, after which the Dana aircraft saga occurred.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/49183-lagos-assembly-urges-reps-to-conduct-enquiry.html

The lawmaker noted that if there were strict laws on passengers’ safety, no airline - local or international - would toy with the people’s lives.

The lawmaker noted that though people are calling for the probe of the crash, they should ask the government for the outcome of previous probes of plane crashes.

Until somebody is held culpable and dealt with very seriously, such incidents will continue to recur. It is not enough to set up a probe panel. Are we really ready to sincerely do something to prevent future occurrence?

Good words but not enough!

The law makers are also part of what they called Government and should apportioned themselves a large share of the blame. Fasola has be turned to God in Lagos but I was appalled at the crude and primitive level of emergency response given to the pained at their hour of need. In my view, there was just no rescue operations. There were bodies with minor bruises, who perhaps could have just managed to survive if help had come much more earlier. Locals as well who should give a helping hand turned themselves to looters and chose to rob not the dead but the dying victims. They went for the Iphones, BBs, Ipads and not for the ambulance and urgent response for the crying for help that engulfed the place in the first 30 minutes as repored.

It's not far fetched, considering that Lagos from its faulty urban planning and incidences of collapsed building in the past, that the state government should have a superb emergency response. But the reverse was the case. Let the truth be told, we failed the victims and the vociferous voices for the justice for the victims should not be that of the lawmakers who have abdicated their responsibilities but that of the masses who should be asking not just the minister questions but also the Governor of Lagos State. What if the accident was an inevitable one ( not caused by negligence)? The rescue operation would have still failed the victims. What else remains, a day after the crash, smoke was still coming from the doomed aircraft? The site was not secured and all manners of "Alaye baba" were allowed to freely feast on it without consideration for security implications.


We should put competent fellows at the appropriate places in this country. We can put, dead wood as usual, in other places. But in strategic places, we should go for competence. We compromise everything including our lives. Is it a big deal to regulate? Just check for compliance and if a verdict of No is returned, you politely say, I am sorry but this plane can not fly, chikenaa. It's not more than that. We need people who know what to check for, what's working or otherwise and who can apply the law without sentiments.

It's not enough for GEJ to cry, for Fasola to show concern and for the entire country to rage against what just happened. We need to prevent a re-occurrence where possible. We need to provide a superb respond for the needed. Infact, if any thing, the dying victim should have a word of commendation for the living. They should be satisfied that the living tried all they could but still failed. For a start, Fasola together with GEJ should get a good response squad for Lagos, we can not continue to depend on JB forever. And for the looters, please have a change of heart. If you must loot, if you must rob, please rob with conscience, yeah it sounds funny, but please rob the living. I hope the same guys calling for the sack of the minister will remember to ask for the fumigation of the place, at least to prevent the living from joining the dead. Aviation Minister will not do that for us.

Typical Nigerian Government reactions all round . . . Over-react first, do nothing later!!



I will wait to see if this will not be swept under the rug before the end of summer. ** hiss**

Hmnnn

If GEJ don't ask for her resignation letter asap, I will stop supporting him, And yes the Aviation minister is my sister.

House of Criminals,Robbers and 419.The speaker is still facing corruption charges and he dare open his corrupt mouth to tell someone to resigned?He should have been in Prison by now if the Law of the country is working.

EVER REACTING BUT NO ACTION TO GET RESULT. TYPICAL NIGERIANS.

teskyg: House of Criminals,Robbers and 419.The speaker is still facing corruption charges and he dare open his corrupt mouth to tell someone to resigned?He should have been in Prison by now if the Law of the country is working.

All these still doesn't stop the speaker from demanding Oduah's resignation!

These useless lawmakers, have they passed health and safety laws in their own jurisdiction? Till then, this is another 'cassava bread' reaction.

teskyg: House of Criminals,Robbers and 419.The speaker is still facing corruption charges and he dare open his corrupt mouth to tell someone to resigned?He should have been in Prison by now if the Law of the country is working.

Dont mind the thieves. Did they say the same when OBJ and fani Kayode were crashing planes in 2005, bloody bigots. She has been in office for 1 yr, fighting foreign airways fares as a minister yet those responsible directly with airlines are not doing their Job. whats NAMA and FAAN doing, let investigation finish then she should fire whoever that is sleeping in his duty.

[size=14 pt]Why should she resign,that woman is the best aviation minister we've had in over 8 years.She has initiated so many administrative and infrastructural reforms in airports across the country,fly round and see the re-modelling going on at the airports,she has tried to sanitise the system and plug the loopholes that most domestic and foreign airlines are using to defraud FAAN/FGN.
Is it not your lawmakers that usually go and start mounting pressure on her to take it easy with the airlines that they're just barely surviving.
That said,their is an agency called NCAA that has pilot/ex pilots,engrs etc that usually inspect the log books of these airlines,issue operational guidelines,ground aircraft that they're not satisfied with their status.They are in the airport,I wont even ask the DG NCAA to resign(as they have done fairly well,leading to Nigeria getting the category A certification last year plud Dr Demuren even won some global award last year for a job well done),rather I'll suggest they recruit more hands to be able to do more on-the-ground inspection of the aircraft regularly,rather than swallowing whatever the airline's pilots and engineers may have cooked up in theri log books.Secondly NCAA should be made to switch from their current civil service approach to duties and be more firm and strict in applying the rule books to ensure all airline operators adhere to the highest standards of safety

BTW I'm sure Tinubu's First nation airways must have tried to cut corners somewhere and dhe stopped them,hence he is using his ACN instrument to [/size]

What!!!! Lagos Lawmakers na waooo after spending millions on the Door2Door Campaign for Father Jona you want her to resign? who do you want there Remi Tinubu?

The lagos lawmakers should go and face their Yoruba business and owambe lifestyle if they have nothing better to do. Resign over what? A technical problem that could have be regulated by NCAA which has a director and was partly caused by Dame Jonathan. Maybe they should all resign for the road accidents in Lagos. Stup¡d people. Id anybody must resign in jonathan cabinet, diezzani must lead the way.

Slyr0x:

All these still doesn't stop the speaker from demanding Oduah's resignation!

he can always demand, everybody can, but his demands will end up in the trash can.

The woman is tryingIn my opinion,she had the gut and right to challenge ba for high nigeria passengers fee,and some other things,which aviation minister has evr done that,BA did not just start extorting nigerians this year,and also she's just used 1 year,the law makers themselves are OUR problem,its when you can't provide social amenitiesi.e response squad that lead to most of the passengers death,not all of them would die at 1ce nau,if there were job for the masses,will they leave their job to come and loot?NO,everyone needs to do the right thing so that Nigeria can prosper,not blaming,indians,masses,government for our failures.

FAAN and the rest should do their jobs professionally. In my own opinion the minister should be allowed to conclude the good work. she appears to be doing her best.
www.nigerianewsnetwork.com

please, stella oduah is good for the job. that this plane crash episode played itself shouldn't be enough reason(s) for the ACN to engage their numerous political nonsense

Asking for her resignation (and getting it) wouldn't solve the problem of negligence that has plagued Nigeria.

damilola15: Asking for her registration (and getting it) wouldn't solve the problem of negligence that has plagued Nigeria.

But it's a way forward in holding people in-charged accountable.

Pensioners are dying daily. A pension scam and syndicate was recently unveiled, how many people have resigned ?

Same for the oil subsidy scam and all the numerous scams, probes and failed govt institutions.

Average Aircraft fleet age, the oldest allowed in Nigeria is 22 years while Russia is 10 years.

Air Nigeria
Fleet Size: 12 Aircraft
Average Fleet Age: 13.5 years
Oldest Aircraft: 18.2 years

AeroContractors
Fleet Size: 11 Aircraft (+ 1 On Order/Planned)
Average Fleet Age: 19.7 years
Oldest Aircraft: 20.7 years

Africa Charter Services
Fleet Size: 2 Aircraft
Average Fleet Age: 32.1 years
Oldest Aircraft: 32.8 years

Air Taraba
Fleet Size: 0 (+1 on order/planned)
Average fleet age: 10.5 years

Arik Air
Fleet size: 21 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 5.5 years
Oldest Aircraft: 11.3 years

Axiom Air
Fleet size: 1 Aircraft
Fleet age: 24.5 years

Bellview Airlines
Fleet size: 2 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 31.9 years
Oldest aircraft: 33.2 years

Chanchangi Airlines
Fleet size: 6 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 25.6 years
Oldest aircraft: 30.2 years

Dana Air
Fleet size: 4 Aircraft (used to be five until Sunday’s crash)
Average fleet age: 21.4 years
Oldest aircraft: 21.7 years

First Nation Airways
Fleet size: 3 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 18.4 years
Oldest aircraft: 19.3 years

Government of Nigeria
Fleet size: 2 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 9.5 years
Oldest aircraft: 12.1 years

IRS Airlines
Fleet size: 5 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 21.6 years
Oldest aircraft: 22.5 years

Kabo Air
Fleet size: 5 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 34.5 years
Oldest aircraft: 41.3 years

Max Air
Fleet size: 6 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 24.1 years
Oldest aircraft: 25.7 years

Overland Airways
Fleet size: 2 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 22.2 years
Oldest aircraft: 25.6 years

Tradecraft Airlines
Fleet size: 1 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 25.4 years

Transky Airlines
Fleet size: 1 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 28.2 years

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Average Aircraft fleet age, the oldest allowed in Nigeria is 22 years while Russia is 10 years.

Air Nigeria
Fleet Size: 12 Aircraft
Average Fleet Age: 13.5 years
Oldest Aircraft: 18.2 years

AeroContractors
Fleet Size: 11 Aircraft (+ 1 On Order/Planned)
Average Fleet Age: 19.7 years
Oldest Aircraft: 20.7 years

Africa Charter Services
Fleet Size: 2 Aircraft
Average Fleet Age: 32.1 years
Oldest Aircraft: 32.8 years

Air Taraba
Fleet Size: 0 (+1 on order/planned)
Average fleet age: 10.5 years

Arik Air
Fleet size: 21 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 5.5 years
Oldest Aircraft: 11.3 years

Axiom Air
Fleet size: 1 Aircraft
Fleet age: 24.5 years

Bellview Airlines
Fleet size: 2 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 31.9 years
Oldest aircraft: 33.2 years

Chanchangi Airlines
Fleet size: 6 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 25.6 years
Oldest aircraft: 30.2 years

Dana Air
Fleet size: 4 Aircraft (used to be five until Sunday’s crash)
Average fleet age: 21.4 years
Oldest aircraft: 21.7 years

First Nation Airways
Fleet size: 3 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 18.4 years
Oldest aircraft: 19.3 years

Government of Nigeria
Fleet size: 2 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 9.5 years
Oldest aircraft: 12.1 years

IRS Airlines
Fleet size: 5 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 21.6 years
Oldest aircraft: 22.5 years

Kabo Air
Fleet size: 5 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 34.5 years
Oldest aircraft: 41.3 years

Max Air
Fleet size: 6 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 24.1 years
Oldest aircraft: 25.7 years

Overland Airways
Fleet size: 2 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 22.2 years
Oldest aircraft: 25.6 years

Tradecraft Airlines
Fleet size: 1 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 25.4 years

Transky Airlines
Fleet size: 1 Aircraft
Average fleet age: 28.2 years

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

i do not know how some people think, what concern aviation minister to death, how many people or rich people died in hospital everyday ,even what of missing people ,everybody will die with 1 means, Click my signature now now now for my big offer for all nigeria

These people should ask Kuforoji to step aside or down first, then we will all join hands and ask the aviation minister to resign

Lagos State House of Assembly is filled to the brink with imbecilic halfwits. Why have they not call for resignation of minister responsible for the federal roads that have become death traps? What happens to the minister of transportation?

Your aviation law have to change. Boko haram member from Abuja is send to port harcourt or owerri or enugu... What do you think will happen.

You have to change the law like all countries that state own airport. That way Boko haram can not be send to be members of port harcourt airport. the federal govt have to transfer ownership of airport to state. This is how you can stop Boko haram members been tranfered from Abuja to Port harcourt airport.

If not the ministry of aviation will continue to send Boko haram everywhere.. because nigeria law allow boko haram members to be transfer since they are nigerian.

Compare Yar adua university built by katsina state and the katsina airport. You can see that state can handle airport in Nigeria. so transfer all airport to state like what is done all over the world.

And compare with Yola airport and just a building inside Adamawa state university.














Adamawa university...

Mtcheeeew! Then the president needs to be impeach for every mishap that has befallen this country since his appointment.

She should resign oooooooooo

Why "ask." Why not just fire the person? They should all fire themselves too and let thinking and honest people lead this country if there is anyone honorable left in Nigeria. What a waste of time!

LocalChamp: Lagos Assembly urges Reps to conduct enquiry
By Oziegbe Okoeki 1 hour ago
Font size:

Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji •Lawmakers demand resignation of Aviation minister


The Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday urged the House of Representatives to probe the immediate and remote causes of the Dana Air crash on Sunday and make its findings public.

Saka Faunmi, who represents Ifako-Ijaye 1 Constituency – where the disaster occurred - raised a motion under Matter of Urgent Public Importance.

He said the decadence in aviation is due to the “consistent and persistent neglect of the relevant agencies of government in exercising necessary regulations”.

According to him, this has resulted in airlines ignoring checks on their aircraft and risking the lives of Nigerians as well as destroying people’s confidence in the industry.

Olatunji Edet (Oshodi/Isolo II) said Dana Air should be charged with “manslaughter” because of its alleged negligence that led to the crash.

He said: “Dana Air must be sued for its negligence and ineptitude that claimed the lives of innocent Nigerians because it was learnt that the aircraft was faulty and it could not fly in Uyo. But few minutes later, the Dana management was said to have ordered the aircraft to take off from Abuja without any consideration for the people’s lives. The airline operator must be mandated to face the music and those who are culpable must be brought to book.”

Rotimi Olowo (Shomolu I) blamed the crash on the relaxed government policy in aviation.

The lawmaker noted that if there were strict laws on passengers’ safety, no airline - local or international - would toy with the people’s lives.

He said: “In less than 10 days, we have been mourning; not because God hates us but because our government is not sensitive to the people’s lives and property. Many lives were lost in the last week twin accidents on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Thereafter, the mother of all tragedy struck last Sunday, when about 153 people died instantly.

“Government policy is one of our problems, because the government refuses to fix the roads and ensure that aviation policy is effective. We should beg Mr. President to find a lasting solution to this ugly incident because we cannot continue to fold our arms and watch people die like chickens.”

Moshood Oshun (Lagos Mainland II) said whenever a disaster claims people’s lives in Nigeria, some people refer to the Western world.

The lawmaker noted that though people are calling for the probe of the crash, they should ask the government for the outcome of previous probes of plane crashes.

He said: “It is sad that we usually make reference to the Western world whenever a sad event occurs in Nigeria. My question is: what have we learnt from what happened in the last few years? If the government institutes a probe panel, what will come out of it?

“Until somebody is held culpable and dealt with very seriously, such incidents will continue to recur. It is not enough to set up a probe panel. Are we really ready to sincerely do something to prevent future occurrence?”

Rasaq Balogun (Surulere I) said Aviation Minister Stella Oodua should resign immediately.

He said: “This is because you cannot pretend to be active when many lives are being lost due to the negligence and ineptitude of your ministry. It was indeed a sad day and it could have been anyone of us. The Federal Government needs to do something urgently to prevent future occurrence.”

Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji noted that lack of maintenance culture has been the major problem of local airlines.

He said aircraft are allowed to fly for as long as they like, notwithstanding the age of the engines.

Ikuforiji said: “The year of the aircraft is not the problem, as agitated by many people. But lack of maintenance culture has been the problem of local airlines in Nigeria. We need to talk to ourselves as Nigerians to know exactly what is wrong with us. This is because it is virtually everything that we do wrong. If we do something right, it appears it happened by mistake.



“Aircraft are made to fly for as long as many years as possible. But what do the operators do with them? It appears we don’t care much about people’s lives. In the past 33 years, we have had more than 40 air crashes that claimed many lives, despite the fact that air transportation is believed to be the safest. The avoidable ghastly accidents happened last Thursday and Friday and early last Sunday. Boko Haram also struck in Bauchi, after which the Dana aircraft saga occurred.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/49183-lagos-assembly-urges-reps-to-conduct-enquiry.html

Are we ready to pay the professional laborers that will do the job? professional aircraft maintenance laborers not (office hingineers) don't work for minimum wages because the are laborers. they can kill us also just like the medical doctors are killing us.

I can understand their sentiments but let me ask them since they want to play saints if any one has resigned ova the numerous collapsed houses in Lagos or is Stella incharge there as well.

Arosa: If GEJ don't ask for her resignation letter asap, I will stop supporting him, And yes the Aviation minister is my sister.

Shaaarraap! U hypocryte, you had better stop supporting him this moment cos he will never sack her! Get it?