NCAA VS AZMAN AIR: MATTERS ARISING FROM THE DOG FIGHT & MUD SLINGING
3 min read
By Capt Bara Allwell-Brown. Civil Aviation Legend
SALIENT QUESTIONS BEGGING FOR ANSWERS
Only recently, it used to be that a Nigerian Commercial Pilot Licence holder could obtain an FAA Commercial Pilot Licence without undergoing a flying test, we have proof of this; one wonders if that can still happen today.
It was a sad experience for Nigerian Aviation Practitioners, the day Canada said no don’t come to our Country, to a worthy Nigerian Carrier. We have been eating aviation sour grapes and our teeth has gone on edge.
While most of us Nigerian Aviators stand with the Regulatory Agency and are most likely backing the right horse; our stand does little to change the image conjured in the minds of foreign government aviation agents by a widely circulated accusation of demands for bribes by the topmost officer of our Regulatory Agency the NCAA.
Unless, we want our Aviation Licenses, Tests and Certificates to be taken as a joke and our Airlines to be humiliated worldwide, WE MUST SANCTION the party that levelled such destructive accusations to the fullest extent allowed by our laws OR accept that he is right (we pray not), apologize and fire our DG NCAA (we pray not).
This is Not The Time To Do Nothing.
Do nothing, in this case, means further damage to the REPUTATION & IMAGE OF NIGERIAN AVIATION. What a shame that after all the progress of fantastic CAT3 fitted Airports, beautiful terminals, etc, some jokers would be allowed to do such damage.
Did we hear our Minister say “not on my watch”?
-: By Capt Bara Allwell-Brown
Putting the above brief by our Civil Aviation Legend, CAL, Capt Bara Allwell-Brown in Perspectives.
Those points raised by the elder statesman, are words of caution to the present appointees in authority in the nation’s air transport industry to be twice careful, the international community is watching
*** From the mid-1960s when he started flying aeroplanes till 1999 when he formally quitted flying, Nigeria was held in high esteem in the aviation world. Evidence abounds to this claim.
*** One of such numerous shreds of evidence was that a Nigerian Commercial Pilot License holder could obtain an FAA Commercial Pilot License without undergoing a flying test.
Do such recognition still being accorded anyone with Nigerian Commercial Pilot License today?
*** Another Food For Thought; when in the estimation of aviation authorities in Nigeria, the best of our airlines, Air Peace, was designated to airlift Nigerians in Canada back home, during the series of evacuation flights of last year, occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government put his feet down against that voyage, and Ethiopian Airline eventually executed the contract.
That was a terrible indictment on our standards here. Yet we have internalized the slogan, “One Aviation”. It has since been known that the slogan is a mere cliché. Or How come our best was ignored?.
*** And now, an accusation from an operator, on the character of a personality that is expected to be above board, that should be irreprehensible and a personage that should be the epitome of morality and probity was cast so much aspersion, reek with odium that deserves drastic attention and transparent administrative hearing procedure to resolve.
*** The resolution of the issues raised by Azman Air, in spite of the feeble rebuttal, will still need to be highly transparent, fair and not only be seen as fair by Nigerians but by the international aviation community. The process should at least enable the international community to exercise a modicum of confidence in our operating procedures- both on technical issues and judicial/administrative matters as Azman Air has just created.
SANCTION
*** When a serious infraction is established, sanction should be accord erring personnel. But where anything goes, no matter the gravity of infraction everything still continues as normal, business as usual, as if a ghost is the accounting officer, such organization or institution loses respect/recognition as a serious and reliable body.
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