The Aviation Roundtable Initiative, ART, has urged the National Assembly not to delve into technical and safety matters of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA like the issuance of Airline Operating Certificate (AOC).
The body says, it frowns and condemns the recent undue interferences in directing the NCAA to suspend the issuance of AOC to NG Eagle, describing their action as “unbelievable”.
“The recent actions of the members of the National Assembly undermine and whittle the powers granted to the NCAA”.
“NG Eagle’s right will be breached unfairly if its AOC is not released after the company has complied with all mandatory tasks successfully. NCAA will also be in gross violation of these rights”.
A statement by its Assistant Secretary General, Olumide Ohunayo, ART, says, “We observed lately with dismay, the various acts of interference by political actors in purely Aviation safety operational matters”.
It stresses that, the various legislations that established aviation and allied agencies in Nigeria stipulated their roles and areas of competence and the NCAA Act prescribed its role as the prime regulator of activities in the aviation industry in Nigeria.
“To effectively perform its tasks, the statute empowers the Regulator and its Board (though board is not in place ) needed as a matter of urgency to have oversight for optimal performance without compromising its role as enforcer of international Standards andRecommended Practices and other State Responsibilities”.
ART explains that, the action of the lawmakers could be attributed to a gap in administration. “There have also been similar acts of interference in the past while some of these undue interference is partly attributable to the absence of governing boards for the agencies, the consequential gap in administration could have emboldened these interferences continually”.
ART therefore urges the House Committee on Aviation that if they are interested in recouping public funds (which is the contention in this case) a resolution could be passed citing the relevant section of the economic regulations of the Nig CARs if applicable.
“Going further will tantamount to interference with executive functions rather than political”.
