Nigerian Pilots, Engrs Declare Vote of Confidence in NCAA’s Leadership
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Logo-National Association of Aircraft Pilots And Engineers, NAAPE
A vote of implicit confidence has been passed on the leadership of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, for its resolve to carry out its statutory functions as a regulator without fear or favour and without minding whose ox may be gored
The Nigerian Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, made the public declaration in a media statement signed by its President, Engr Galadima Abednego.
NAAPE viewed with grave concern, the raging impasse between an operator, Azman Air and the NCAA, over a purported serial infraction of Nigerian civil aviation regulations in its operations. The leadership of NAAPE condemned the campaign of calumny by the Azman Air against the person of the NCAA’s Director General, Capt Musa Nuhu, for standing up to perform his statutory duty for the safety of passengers and the entire citizenry as fatal accidents were imminent in the way Azman air runs its operations.
NAAPE media statement described as, “unfortunate that Azman air chooses to view the action through a parochial prism. The sentiments expressed by the airline are unnecessary and unhelpful to the critical safety issues raised by the authority, given the cited myriads of incontrovertible safety breaches”, it said.
The body of Pilots and Engineers commended the NCAA DG, Capt Musa Nuhu, for refusal to approve Azman Air, request for expatriate Pilots, immediately after sacking indigenous Pilots on its employment.
NAAPE described the withholding of approval for Azman’s Air request for expatriate engagement by Capt Musa Nuhu, as “the patriotic NCAA act of ensuring that Nigerian Pilots and Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are considered first in employment in line with expatriates quota laws and executive order No 5″.
The tantrums and mudslinging resorted to by the management of Azman Air were outrightly condemned and NAAPE viewed the scenario as a dangerous precedent that needed to be dealt with once and for all time.
The statement noted that “a situation where the operators intimidate/blackmail the regulator or try to write its own regulation, or are in a cosy relationship with the regulator, should never be allowed in the Nigerian aviation sector”.
Engr Galadima in the media statement declared, “We, therefore, commend NCAA under the able leadership of Capt Musa Nuhu as DG and pass a vote of confidence on his stewardship since he assumed office, February 2020”.
He appealed to the general public to stand on the side of probity saying, ‘We call on the aviation community and well-meaning Nigerians to support the regulator in its onerous task of ensuring safety and security of the airspace and equipment”.
However, the Pilots and Engineers association urged Azman Air to cooperate with the regulatory authority for the good of air transport in Nigeria and for the operators to fly safely and profitable, which will be a win-win situation for all stakeholders and the general public.
NAAPE appealed thus, “we also wish to advise Azman Air to cooperate with the regulatory authority by opening up its books for full safety audit and desist from engaging in this type of distractive overtures and blackmail in the overall interest of the travelling public and Nigeria”.
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