The Task before the New Aviation Minister

Our time is running short considering the presidential election is next year and the usual pre and post cabinet shakeup in our polity makes long time planning and execution a mirage. Therefore, Mr President should as a matter of urgency confirm and name our Minister, so the ball can start rolling, while he can still be ruminating on other ministries. The new minister should as a priority give NCAA the needed support as they prepare for FAA reassessment coming up in three weeks. Also, our contacts in ICAO and other bodies should be co-opted to ensure we retain our CAT 1 status, while we also do the needful with respect to the templates. The minister should as a matter of urgency convene a stakeholders meeting. All issues related to the industry will be discussed unfettered in a syndicated session and implemented, if generally accepted. The Minister should endeavour to complete on going infrastructural projects cut across the country with a proviso, which is the reassessment of the cost and quality of job done. this is necessary considering the huge expenses incurred in maintaining those that have been commisioned and the quality of materials used in others. The Minister should review our lopsided BASA agreements taking cognisance of the recent trend of using governors and politicians to blackmail the Ministry into frequency capitulation. The Minister should understand that even with our CAT 1 and other improved economic indicators, investors are still avoiding our carriers. The solution is within if we look inwards and think deep. The Minister should also take a critical review of placements, appointments and concessions that are not regular, inappropriate and transparent enough to sustain professionalism, integrity and profitability. The Minister should also as a matter of urgency take the running of the Ministry and agencies from the media, its a recent malaise that has never been seen in the industry. A cursory look at the balance sheet will give the answer. Finally, please give credit to garlands and achievements on ground, the rot proponents will come over again and say everywhere was rotten, while they have been in the system all these years. This boisterous posture attracted flack from the public The BMW scandal did not start and end with the former minister. There are other people within the system who did not uphold due process, or most importantly, defend the agencies governing act. This should not be swept under the carpet.

RE: UNION CALL FOR A TECHNOCRAT

The recent call by unions and some stakeholders calling for the appointment of an industry expert to head the ministry of aviation and their pseudo submission of nominees is self severing and not a true reflection of recent achievements and genuine yearning of the industry in totality. The unions went further by threaten to shut down the industry if a technocrat is not appointed, following the same hollow path and position taken before the appointment of Ms Oduah. She did not forgive the unions for that pronouncement and ensured a wedge was planted between the ministry and the unions, thereafter members resorted to one -one leg relationship with the ministry. Having a technocrat at the helms of the ministry is not the panacea to our problem, the last technocrat only facilitated the increment of Nigeria Airways pilots remunerations thereafter "na Sidon look" till handover . A technocrat is nice to have not need to have; the president must not be compelled by threats but should rather be left alone to make his choice, putting in perspective the federal character concept as enshrined in the constitution. What we need is an administrator and entrepreneur who will supervise the agencies and also attract investors into the sector and will not be mentally ambushed. He or she will correct the lapses therein and complete ongoing projects considering the time frame of this administration. The unions should rather roll their sleeves for issues related to corporate existence of the agencies, career progression of their members’ e.t.c which should be addressed by reviewing recent appointments, concessions and agreements. The incoming minister must also checkmate the recent trend of running the industry on the pages of newspaper and ensure the sanctity of the act governing the agencies. Also our CAT 1 certification is under threat, India just lost it despite not having a major air mishap, our carriers are on lookers on their own soil while the Ethiopians, Gulf and Europeans carriers are operating freely to different airports in our country by capitalising on our ethnic differences, this we collectively need to work on rather than bicker on appointees