Aviation Sector: NSIB DG Seeks Reps’ Partnership to Address Poor Funding, Other Challenges.   By Saheed Badmus

Aviation Sector: NSIB DG Seeks Reps’ Partnership to Address Poor Funding, Other Challenges.

 

…As Reps C’ttee Reiterates Commitments to make Nigeria Air Space safe for all

 

…Invites contractor to appear before committee over slow pace of building project at NSIB training centre

 

 

By Saheed Badmus

 

 

 

Director-general/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Capt. Alex Badeh Jr, has sought legislative support and partnership from the members of the National Assembly, to address the issues of insufficient findings and other challenges facing it.

Capt. Alex Badeh stated this on Wednesday, in Abuja, when members of the Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Aviation Technology led by its chairman, Rep. Abiodun Akinlade, paid an inaugural oversight visit to the bureau.

The NSIB boss who emphasized the importance of legislative partnership in making progress said the lawmakers have been very cooperative and helpful to the NSIB for the past year.

Capt. Alex Badeh noted that Funding has been number one issue for the expanded mandates, saying the bureau lacks the manpower and the technical abilities to add needed value to the aviation industry.

On challenges, he said: “everyone knows, funding has been an issue all around the country for the past year. Funding has been the number one issue for the expanded mandates. We do lack the manpower and the technical abilities for that, and all these things have a narrow value to us.

“You know, of course, that inter agency cooperation has been a little difficult, but it’s getting better. We’re getting more responses from our partners and other modes of transportation, but it could be more. We get more cooperation, faster cooperation, from the other stakeholders in the transport industry as well”.

Speaking on airspace accident prevention, Capt. Badeh told the lawmakers that the bureau is doing more on sensitization programs and training.

According to him, “we do a bit more on sensitization, more training. We’ve trained with the partners and government agencies and with regulators as well.

“We do have a state safety program with the Civil Aviation Authority, where we talk about policy incidents, and our reports and safety recommendations, and follow that up to make sure they’re implemented.

“For this year, fortunately we have not had a major fatal crash, and it’s a result of all these engagements we have with the stakeholders of the aviation industry.

“Of course, it’s been a difficult year. The airlines were struggling to get financing for their airplanes, but the leadership of Ministry of Aviation has taken positive steps in that direction, and hopefully by next year, it will be fruitful for the Nigerian aviation industry and transport industry as a whole”

While speaking to journalists after an oversight tour to the ongoing building project at the NSIB training centre, the chairman house Committee on aviation technology, Rep Abiodun Akinlade reiterated the commitments of the National Assembly to address the identified challenges in the bureau and make the airspace safe for all.

Rep Akinlade who noted that the NSIB is handicapped as a result of limited resources available to it said the committee will explore all legislative means to ensure that the investigative bureau is well funded due to the critical position it occupies in Nigeria aviation sector.

The Ogun State federal lawmaker hinted that NIMASA and some other agencies of the federal government have to collaborate with NISB, noting that the Act that established NISB mandated the NIMASA to be remitting some certain sum of money to them, which they have not been doing.

“First and foremost, we engaged with DG to ask about their activities and operation. Don’t forget, NSIB was established to also investigate accidents on air, marine, rail and on transport.

“And we discussed their challenges and their strengths. The DG is new. He came on board less than a year ago and we have seen the innovation. And the modern things he has been trying to introduce to the agency.

“They have limited resources. They are being handicapped by financial challenges and we have discussed that with the DG. When we go back to the National Assembly we will discuss with the leadership of the House. We will let them understand why NISB should be funded.

“And to look at the critical position they occupied in the Nigeria sector. Aviation industry is guided by international standards.

“Africa does not operate without meeting international standards. And when you don’t have funds, not much they can do.

The lawmaker also stated that the Act that established NISB mandated NIMASA to remit some amount of money to the agency, which has not been adhered to.

“We will go back to the National Assembly and engage with the committee on NIMASA and other relevant committees to ensure that whatever is due to NSIB is given to them,” he said.

He also mentioned that the committee discussed the recent air mishap, stating that it is unfortunate the recorder has not been found till date.

He sympathized with the family of those who loved their loved ones to the accident, and informed that efforts are still ongoing to unravel the cause of the accident.

He urged operators in the aviation industry to ensure that Nigeria air space is safe for all to fly, saying that there is no second chance on the air.

Unhappy with the slow pace of job in the ongoing building project at the NSIB training centre, the chairman has resolved to invite the contractor handling it to appear before the House Committee on Aviation Technology next Tuesday, to tell Nigerians why they have refused to finish the job based on the money they have collected, saying that the 30% work done after about 5 years of the award of the contract, is unacceptable.

The committee chairman who commended the NSIB DG, Captain Bade, for his passion to turn things around in the aviation industry, assured legislative support to encourage him to do more, in order to prevent avoidable air accidents in the future.

On the proposed National Summit to address issues affecting aviation industry, Rep. Akinlade noted that the plan was to collate the data of all the mishaps and all the accidents that have happened in the last five years and dentify the remote and immediate causes of air crashes in the country, to ensure Nigerian airspace is safe for all to fly.

Recall that there was a helicopter crash that killed five staff members of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and two others in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recently.

The Sikorsky S-76 helicopter with registration 5N-BQG operated by Eastwind Aviation crashed one kilometre away from

its destination in the oil-rich state.