Following the near air mishap involving Air Peace aircraft at the Port Harcourt International Airport recently, the House of Representatives Tuesday urged all relevant agencies in the aviation sector to ensure that all safety rules and standards were enforced henceforth.
The House also asked the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to ensure that all Aircraft in Nigeria are adequately maintained, and certified airworthy before commencing operation, in order to prevent further ordeals.
The agencies directed for enforcement included the Ministry of Aviation, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Accident Investigative Bureau, AIB, and Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET.
The House reached the decision sequel to a motion sponsored by Chris Emeka Azubogu, member, representing Nnewi-South/Nnewi-North Federal Constituency of Anambra State at Tuesday’s plenary.
The motion was entitled “Need to forestall Air Crash and Near Mishaps in Nigeria Aviation Industry”.
Moving the motion, Azubogu recalled the incident at the airport, saying, among others, that “the House notes the recent near mishap of Air Peace Airline, Boeing 737-500 on Saturday 22nd June, 2019 while about to land;
“It also notes that the Air-peace Flight No P47291 which had about 94 passengers on board was said to have taken off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to the Port-Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State;
“Informed that the aircraft on landing, skidded off the tarmac, causing it to overshoot the runway, as a result, destabilised all on board and instigated panic on its passengers and other airport officials, even though it was gathered that no one sustained injury and no life was lost;
“Also Informed that the overshooting of runway was as a result of flood in the airport runway intermittently caused by heavy downpour of rain on Saturday, June 22, 2019.
“Further notes that on same date, 22nd June, 2019, an Air Peace aircraft from Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, attempted landing, twice, but recorded no success, due to poor weather condition.”
The lawmaker also recalled several other airplane mishaps that had occurred in previous years and at different times and locations within, including Bellview crash at Lisa, Ogun State; Sosoliso crash in Port Harcourt; ADC crash in Abuja, among others.
Azobugu said that the House was “worried that poor weather condition has been the reason for most of these crashes, even the mishaps at recent times”.
He also noted that “over the years, air travel has become easier means of transportation not only to the people of Nigeria, but to people of the world at large;
“Thoughtful that as a nation, the Federal Government has the obligation at every point to make aviation industry work better for the citizenry”.
He believed that air crashes and mishaps can rarely occur if all stakeholders and other concerned authorities would adopt relevant apparatus to tackling the irregularities in the industry.
He also stated that relevant agencies could work harder to ensure that no airline official was encouraged to take decisions such as flying when the weather is not conducive.
Contributing to the debate on the motion, some members who spoke emphasized the need to properly checkmate the activities of the airline operators by relevant agencies to ensure that the lives of their passengers were not put at risk.
Ruling on the matter, Femi Gbajabiamila, the speaker, also mandated the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, to prevail on aircraft owners to keep strict adherence with the rules of weather condition while flying.
The motion was referred to the Committee on Aviation which is yet to be constituted.
The House also mandated its Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
