To mitigate the recurring incidents and accidents in the aviation industry, it has become imperative to ascertain if safety recommendations by the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB are enforced by airlines and the various parties concerned.
To this end, the Minister of state, Aviation, senator Hadi Sirika has constituted a 10- man committee to review accident safety recommendations by the AIB to ascertain their levels of effectiveness.
The committee members are drawn from the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the Ministry of Transportation and the Industry.
The committee members include the AIB commissioner, 4 Directors of AIB, 5 staff from the NCAA and 1 from the Ministry of transportation.
The AIB Commissioner, Mr. Akin Olateru at a media briefing in Lagos said the review of the safety recommendations are to enhance aviation safety to the benefits of the air travellers.
“We are doing this to achieve a safer sky in the country”.
Mr. Olateru noted that, ” our safety recommendations have recorded positive impacts locally and globally, we found it imperative to holistically review the effectiveness of all the recommendations with a view to enhancing aviation safety to the benefits of all air travellers”.
” to ensure a balance and objectivity, the honourable Minister of state, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has approved the appointment of experienced industry experts as consultants to the committee. They are Captain Kiddie Dare and Engr. Gbolahan Abatan.
Other members are AIB commissioner, AIB Director operations, Engr. Mohammed Wali, Engr. Charles Irikefe, Sadik Abdusalam Abubakar, Roland Nwahohiri, Engr. At eke ifeanyi, Captain J. O Vincent, Mr. S. Aminu, Engr. J. Adegboye, Engr. Awogbemi Clement and Taiwo Olugbenga.
The AIB commissioner said the committee was expected to engage the affected stakeholders on the effectiveness of the safety recommendations addressed to them and submit their report to AIB management, “which will work on it for the benefits of the industry”.
“The members would go around airlines to ask questions on the effect of the safety recommendations on their operations, whether they have achieved the goals”.
Mr. Olateru observed that the decision of government to set up the 10-man committee would enhance the job of the AIB and the NCAA, adding that this joint cooperation between the two agencies would assist in bring incidence and accidents to the barest.
The committee has been given 30 days to complete their job and submit its report to government.
The AIB boss emphasized that, ” the responsibility for enforcing safety recommendations lies with the NCAA and this may explain why there are four nominees on this committee from the agency. This exercise is therefore to complement their efforts and enhance the industry’s capacity to improve safety.
