Ibadan airport is one of the federal government owned airports in the south western part of Nigeria. The airport with large expanse of land has been poached regularly by the villagers and the air force authority; some reasons adduced for this action are long neglect of facilities, poor funding or non release of operational allocation, under utilisation and most importantly the lack of fencing and support from its host- the Oyo State Government.
The staff quarters are derelict while facilities in and around the airport itself are begging for overhaul or outright replacement. It’s in this sorry state that, the runway safety was challenged by a mysterious cow whose dung was the only evidence.
The airport manager and his team rolled up their sleeves to get the mystery cow, after searching for days; they had to call the Nigerian police to join the search team, with a shoot at sight mandate.
The police did not disappoint, just like the boko haram issue, they successfully located the cow in his resting place, fired a volley of bullets that could not produce carcass or blood stained leaves, as expected the usual nauseating rhymes of the police was flown again -the cow escaped with serious injuries later the story changed to the ridiculous. It’s a mystery cow that must be appeased spiritually, despite wasting tax payers’ bullet and the inevitable mobilisation fee.
The manager became restless knowing the safety implications of having a spirit filled and still wandering cow on the runway of an airport that is gradually recovering commercial flights after years of abandonment, without a carcass and the dung littering the runway daily before dawn.
He and his team invited local hunters, provided official vehicle, the only serviceable vehicle anyway for the mission. The hunters armed with shakabula (local gun) were able to find the well fed cow without injuries resting under a parked aircraft.
They carefully guided the cow from the aircraft before delivering the fatal shot. The cow did not go down without fighting, it went straight for the airport manager's official vehicle conveying the hunters and inflicting severe wreckage before finally giving up the ghost. You may ask what happened to the carcass after afterwards. Check Molete meat market.
We are thanking God today because it was only the FAAN vehicle that was damaged, what would have happened, if that attack was on Associated Airlines Embraer 120, Overland Airways Beech craft or Oyo State subsidised Arik Dash 8 flight that was either landing or taking off with the mystery cow on the runway?
These carriers operate props to this airport with some other charter flights that have consistently made the airport operational after long period of non operation. Our hard and well earned new safety records and certification would have been dented; happily the Ibadan FAAN team responded appropriately, un-mindful of the disappointing, conventional security.
Though FAAN has commenced work on the perimeter fencing at the airport, the project is slow and quality of work is not encouraging, considering that some part of the recently erected fence has cracks while some other part caved in during the last rainy season.
It is exciting to hear that the new management has been releasing allocation to the airports on time and regularly unlike in the past, they should also consider looking into the backlogs that have made their airport managers chronic debtors.
Also the unutilised airport land cannot continue to lie fallow. FAAN should begin to think outside the box or the alternative will be the continuous encroachment. Also is it true that some investors are willing to start a hospitality firm around Ibadan airport? if it is true then, the commercial department of FAAN should dust up the file and process the application.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
CHALLENGES FOR 2012
The challenges before us in 2012 are numerous. They are however surmountable if we have the will, support and leadership from Government and the owners of the flag carriers.
We should start with the EU sponsored emission tax regime which will be implemented from the 1st of January 2012, under the planned Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). Airlines using EU airspace will have to pay a fee for carbon emissions that exceed a set limit. They will also need to pay for the part of the journey covered in airspace outside the EU. Nigeria has joined a dozen other countries to voice her opposition, it will be good to see the government having a stand alone position to intimate the world they support their flag carriers. The Indian government has just directed Indian carriers not to submit carbon emission data to EU and should also forward any correspondence from the EU to the civil aviation Ministry for further action. This stance is harder and more independent position like that of the American and Chinese government.
Government should improve intelligence gathering, cooperation; provide extra and functioning CCTV cameras while ensuring the perimeter fences within and around the airports are intact. Considering, the heightened terrorist activities in the country they may see airports and aircrafts as soft targets.
Government should also strengthen regulations to protect travelers; this will help ensure that air travelers receive the respect they deserve before, during and after flights. Its regulations should be targeted at hidden fees, charges, delays, cancellation and involuntary bumping. Also investigations into fixing and discriminatory fares should be extended to other carriers, on the other hand, action should be expedited on the anti-trust laws and an independent competition authority, so Nigeria might have the benefit of information- sharing with its counterparts and more importantly tackle exploitative monopolist.
The underground agitation and lobbying to replace the DG NCAA, whose tenure will soon come to an end, should be handled with care. Government should be meticulous in picking a replacement, if they are unable to convince him to stay for a second term. That position requires a well bred technocrat with requisite background, backed with international contacts within the industry not political contact. The industry needs to retain and sustain the present level of safety awareness and acceptance; they must jettison the ethnic balancing option.
The government should continue the remodeling of the airports while an alternate funding arrangement must be devised to sustain the process and the airports in its entirety. The rancorous PPP arrangement in the industry should not tar the beauty of that option.
The owners of the domestic carriers need to leave their cocoon and speak out on issues related to the industry. A lot of the problems in the industry have been driven by management teams caring "a lot more about beating each other up rather than having a functioning industry". Employees, critics, analyst are not relenting in getting the industry back to its feet with the necessary protection from government. It will be more effective if the process is championed by the owners of these carriers, through its umbrella body the AON, which needs an urgent re-branding regime.
Its another year and a challenge for all industry participants to ensure that aviators gets national honours, our skies have been safe and attested to internationally, yet certain personnel and investors have not been recognised when Aki and Paw-Paw have been picked, Haba ! !
We should start with the EU sponsored emission tax regime which will be implemented from the 1st of January 2012, under the planned Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). Airlines using EU airspace will have to pay a fee for carbon emissions that exceed a set limit. They will also need to pay for the part of the journey covered in airspace outside the EU. Nigeria has joined a dozen other countries to voice her opposition, it will be good to see the government having a stand alone position to intimate the world they support their flag carriers. The Indian government has just directed Indian carriers not to submit carbon emission data to EU and should also forward any correspondence from the EU to the civil aviation Ministry for further action. This stance is harder and more independent position like that of the American and Chinese government.
Government should improve intelligence gathering, cooperation; provide extra and functioning CCTV cameras while ensuring the perimeter fences within and around the airports are intact. Considering, the heightened terrorist activities in the country they may see airports and aircrafts as soft targets.
Government should also strengthen regulations to protect travelers; this will help ensure that air travelers receive the respect they deserve before, during and after flights. Its regulations should be targeted at hidden fees, charges, delays, cancellation and involuntary bumping. Also investigations into fixing and discriminatory fares should be extended to other carriers, on the other hand, action should be expedited on the anti-trust laws and an independent competition authority, so Nigeria might have the benefit of information- sharing with its counterparts and more importantly tackle exploitative monopolist.
The underground agitation and lobbying to replace the DG NCAA, whose tenure will soon come to an end, should be handled with care. Government should be meticulous in picking a replacement, if they are unable to convince him to stay for a second term. That position requires a well bred technocrat with requisite background, backed with international contacts within the industry not political contact. The industry needs to retain and sustain the present level of safety awareness and acceptance; they must jettison the ethnic balancing option.
The government should continue the remodeling of the airports while an alternate funding arrangement must be devised to sustain the process and the airports in its entirety. The rancorous PPP arrangement in the industry should not tar the beauty of that option.
The owners of the domestic carriers need to leave their cocoon and speak out on issues related to the industry. A lot of the problems in the industry have been driven by management teams caring "a lot more about beating each other up rather than having a functioning industry". Employees, critics, analyst are not relenting in getting the industry back to its feet with the necessary protection from government. It will be more effective if the process is championed by the owners of these carriers, through its umbrella body the AON, which needs an urgent re-branding regime.
Its another year and a challenge for all industry participants to ensure that aviators gets national honours, our skies have been safe and attested to internationally, yet certain personnel and investors have not been recognised when Aki and Paw-Paw have been picked, Haba ! !
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