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We’ll Stop Airport Concession if Any Job Loss Occurs – Sirika

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The controversy over whether the Federal Government will concession the four major airports in the country or not has been laid to rest, as the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika Thursday said by the process will concluded and sent to the Federal Executive Council, FEC by February 2022

And for umpteenth time, minister has promised that there will be no job losses and if there will be any, concession will be halted.

Sirika, who was speaking at the Airport Business Summit in Lagos said, starting June 2021, the ministry will advertise and request for qualifications from bidders.

He assured that the bidders will be requested to demonstrate their competence, the financial and management capacity to handle the concession.

According to him, everything that will be done will transparent and in the best interest of Nigerians and due diligence will be done throughout the entire process.

Sirika said, the concession was not selling off the assets of Nigerians but rather a loan to make the airports better and business oriented to compete with other airports in the world.

“We are not going to sell because those that were sold were lost, so we in government believe that we should hold those assets for the Nigerian people in trust. But we must make those assets better to provide the service that is needed. So, we said rather than sell outrightly, we will concession. In other words, we would give it up to someone who would operate them, make them better and we get more money and the people will also enjoy better service and the industry grows and after certain time, it comes back to us. So, the decision has been made by government that we are not selling any asset any more and that we would do concession and get it back under certain condition”.

He said the proposal will be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in February 2022.

“We have a government that came in and is popularly elected and re-elected because we were able to offer something different and we understand that the committee on privatization of government entities.We in APC, which is the current government and the party in power do not believe that we will begin to sell the assets that belong to the 200 million people and the future generation of this country”.

Sirika stated that, everything about the concession process had been outlined in the business case and warned mischief makers to stop causing confusion where there is none, adding that they have engaged the best hands as consultants.

According to him, about 4 stakeholders engagement have been held to educate people on concession, its viability and benefits to Nigerians yet some stakeholders were not willing to accept that the concession is the way to go.

For transparency, Sirika said, he involved Labour which is not part of the law but just to show to all stakeholders that they had nothing to hide.

He said, “Once the concession happen, there will be no job loss. If we employ you and give you letter, it means you are qualified and equipped and therefore you will continue to be a FAAN staff, there will be no single job loss and as a matter of fact, we will be needing more hands”.

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NSIB JOINS MARITIME ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS INTERNATIONAL FORUM (MAIIF)

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has added another feather to its cap with its acceptance into the Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum (MAIIF).

The Forum was founded in June 1992 as an international non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of maritime safety and prevention of marine pollution through the exchange of ideas, experiences and information acquired in marine accident investigation,

A statement by NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Dr James Odaudu said Forum’s main goal is to promote and improve marine accident investigation, and to foster cooperation and communication between marine accident investigators around the world.

The NSIB was established by the Federal Government under the NSIB Act 2022 and is charged with the responsibility of investigating accidents and serious incident occurrences in Air, Rail, Marine and other modes of transportation in Nigeria and anywhere else Nigeria interest is affected, with the aim of enhancing safety in the transportation sector.

The fundamental objective of the Bureau is to improve transportation safety by determining the circumstances and causes of Air, Rail, Marine and other modes of transportation accidents as well as proffering safety recommended to prevent reoccurrence.

This induction into MAIIF sets NSIB on the path to even greater successes in its investigative prowess particularly in Maritime investigations and solidifies Nigeria premier spot in Africa as regards transportation accidents and serious incidents investigation.

With MAIIF having over 31 member countries cutting across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa NSIB joins Capo Verde as the second African member.

Engr Akin Olateru
Director-General, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau

Speaking on the admission, the NSIB Director-General, Engr Akin Olateru said it would guarantee the nation’s access to international collaboration and assistance from nations involved in maritime safety investigation, similar to what it is already benefiting from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Banjul Accord Group Investigation Agency (BAGIA), African Civil Aviation Commission (AfCAC) in the aviation sector.

According to him, the membership of organisation will further improve the Nations maritime safety and follow global standards in carrying out its investigations

‘This is a step in the right direction for us as a Nation by joining forums like this where we can exchange information, knowledge and ideas’ said Olateru.

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Flight Diversion: NCAA Investigates United Nigeria Airlines ✈️

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By Elizabeth Okwe

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has commenced investigation into the circumstances surrounding United Nigeria flight NUA 0506 to Asaba and the confusion it has created in the public domain.

This is according to a statement signed by the Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu.

The statement however affirmed that preliminary steps have been taken pending conclusions of ongoing investigation.

“The Authority wishes to reassure the traveling public that it will leave no stone unturned as it has always done in the past to ensure continued safety of the aviation industry” it concluded.

But in its defence few hours after the incident, United Nigeria Airlines claimed the flight was diverted to Asaba as a result of bad weather.

Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, the airline spokesperson, said the pilot was properly briefed about the diversion, noting that the cabin crew made “wrong announcement upon landing safely in Asaba [and] created confusion among the passengers.”

Capt. Musa Nuhu DG, CAA

However, unconfirmed reports indicate that the regulatory agency may have suspended the operations of wetleased aircraft in the stable of United Nigeria Airlines pending the conclusion of the investigations.

According to the sources, the Civil Aviation Authority is not satisfied with the explanations of the airline and is determined to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the flight misdirection.

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Omni-Blu AOC: Olateru Duely Resigned as Director of Airline, NCAA DG Affirms

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Contrary to recent reports regarding the involvement of the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Engr Akin Olateru in the management of Omni-Blu Aviation, a jet and helicopter charter company, it has been revealed that the NSIB Director-General actually resigned his position as a Director in the company before taking up appointment with the company.

Director general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu who has put the controversy to rest, has also revealed that the documents provided by the management of Omni-Blu aviation show that the Director General of Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Engr. Akin Olateru, duly resigned from the company before taking up appointment with government.

Capt. Musa Nuhu DG, NCAA

The NCAA DG spoke yesterday at the launch of a book ‘Handbook on Public Relation Practice and Aviation Reporting’, written by Sam Adurogboye, former public relations manager of NCAA.

He said the NCAA only asked somes questions in the course of the processing of the AOC which some quarters have conined to be suspension.

“It is unfortunate that it is coined that NCAA has suspended the AOC processes of Omni-Blu Aviation. One of the directors of Omni-Blu who is DG NSIB, Engr. Akin Olateru, a very close colleague and a friend of mine is a shareholder in Ombi-Blu and this was something he had before he came to the public service. Just because you came to public service does not mean you should wipe off your previous years.

Engr Akin Olateru
Director-General /CEO, NSIB

“There was just a question from NCAA that it appears there was a conflict between this application and the Act of NSIB and NCAA. So, they were asked to respond and they responded. He has provided all the documents, he has shown proof he has resigned and he has declared his interest in those organisations. So, he has provided the appropriate documentation to show that there is no conflict of interest.

“We cannot wipe out our previous lives just because we got to work for government, but there are conditions. In an industry that you are a CEO or a staff, you cannot have an interest, but there are procedures and he has given proof for those procedures; he has showed us that he actually resigned and that letter is actually confirmed by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). He showed that he has done all the necessary declarations to show that he has resigned.

“The only thing is that he has given the necessary documents required, but we have to take it through the normal procedures, legal process so that when documentation is done that he has been cleared, somebody tomorrow will not go and challenge it. It is important to go through the process of clearing him so that the records are put there. Anybody that comes in the future, can look at the file, see that the issue was raised, but the appropriate information had been provided and individual is cleared”, he said.

Nuhu said the process would be completed during the new week.

“However, in this new week. It would have been done, but our legal adviser travelled out with me. So, we will work on it and the process will continue.”, he added.

He said the conflict of interest aspect has also be resolved.

It was reported last week that the NCAA had suspended the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) processes for Omn-Blu Aviation (OBA), which would enable it to operate as a scheduled operator.

Ombi-Blu currently operates as a chartered helicopter and jet company.

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