National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Aviation
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
35
Stakeholders advise NCAA DG on training, BASA funds Stakeholders in the Nigerian aviation industry say for the newly appointed DirectorGeneral of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Capt. Folayele Akinkuotu to succeed, he must take the bull by the horn and continue from where his predecessor stopped. OLUSEGUN KOIKI writes.
T
he screening and eventual confirmation of Capt. Folayele Akinkuotu by the Senate as the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, dragged for almost four months as the National Assembly dilly-dallied over the appointment after the unceremonious exit of the erstwhile Director-General, Dr. Harold Demuren. NCAA as the industry regulator is expected to oversee activities in all the agencies, companies and airlines operating in the sector and its Director-General is supposed to be a proven professional who is capable of propelling the industry with several progressive policies and programmes for the sector. The removal of Demuren and delay in the confirmation of Akinkuotu brought about fears among stakeholders and professionals that the cherished American Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Category One Status, which the country attained in the last quarter of 2011 may be lost due to interferences from different quarters. However, with his eventual confirmation recently, players in the industry expect Akinkuotu to move the sector forward from where his predecessor stopped and charged him to ensure stability among the airlines as most of them are battling to remain in the air due to several factors. Speaking with our correspondent, a member of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, Engr. Sheri Kyari tasked the new DirectorGeneral to improve on the operations of NCAA already on ground like the airworthiness, flight operation, medical assessment and everything that has made the country to retain the Category One Status till date. On the capability of Akinkuotu to perform like his predecessor, Kyari said, “When the former Director-General was coming, nobody knew that he could do what he did. So, I don’t want us to judge the young man like that. I want to believe that he is capable of building on what he’s going to meet on ground. Also, the immediate past Assistant Secretary of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur assured Akinkuotu of unalloyed support of the umbrella body of airlines in the country. But challenged him not to take safety of the industry with levity and curb any unhealthy practices among the airline operators and other stakeholders in the industry. “It is necessary for everybody to protect the aviation industry, but one thing is clear, there is no going back on whatever illegality that has been perpetuated in the last few months. “A situation whereby an agency like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, NCAA, the Federal Airports Au-
Akinkuotu
Tukur
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL DIRECTOR-GENERAL, YOU MUST BE A POLITICIAN, A DIPLOMAT AND A MAD MAN, AND TO GROW ALL THAT WITHIN A SHORT TIME IS DIFFICULT. TO ME, IT IS UNHEARD OF ANYWHERE TO HAVE AN AG. DIRECTORGENERAL SIGNS AN AOC; IT’S CRIMINAL AND IT WAS INTENTIONAL thority of Nigeria, FAAN and Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET among others can not award a contract of more than N1m, they are only able to sign for stationeries. The ministry has taken over every contract in this industry. “Unfortunately, they can’t voice out and when you ask them, they will lie to you that everything is ok; they are pretending and crying inside. That is the truth. Nobody is going to shut us up and stop us from talking, but we hope he is able to stand his ground on several illegalities that have crept into the system since Demuren was removed and take us to the next level. We will support the new Director-General and we hope he will do everything to protect the sector,” he said. Besides, the Secretary-General of Aviation Round Table, ART, Mr. Sam Akerele exuded confidence in Akinkuotu, saying that as an engineer, pilot and an instructor, he would performed creditably well, but urged him to fasten his seatbelt and move on from where his predecessor stopped. He also challenged him to focus on the training of technical personnel in the industry and block the seemingly gap being created by lack of training over the years, adding that he should also make known to the public the amount of money left in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement, BASA, account and what it is being used for. He said, “He needs to fasten his seatbelt and move on. So, we will like to ask him of his agenda and how he wants to move. Then, looking at BASA, which I think the custodian is NCAA and domicile in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. We will like to know how much is in the BASA fund, what is it being used for? “We have a lot of problems with manpower development. No airline wants to train anybody; most of the pilots don’t have the required number of hours to train them. So, somebody needs to train them and operators don’t want to do this.
So, NCAA should come in, maybe, train some of the pilots and engineers and try to put money into manpower development and bridge the gap between those adequately trained and under-trained personnel. For a country that has spent so much money on aviation, we don’t need that gap, we should start thinking about the future.” The Managing Director, Air First, Engr. Gbolahan Abatan said stakeholders in the industry expect Akinkuotu to bring back the glory of the sector and ensure that government’s new aviation policy favours the country in the international community and the indigenous airlines. Abatan also urged him to create rooms for new comers in the industry to participate in the sector. The President, ART, Capt. Dele Ore decried that several illegalities have been perpetuated within the few period Demuren was removed and said all the Air Operators’ Certificates, AOCs, issued within the period did not meet the safety standards in the sector. He alleged that the main reason Demuren was removed was to thwart developments in the sector, overrun the industry and plant unqualified personnel in strategic places, stressing that it is impossible for Akinkuotu to change activities in the sector within few months of resuming. He said, “Since Demuren left this place, you can be rest assured that any AOC issued within the period is fake. Those AOCs issued do not meet the standards and it is something that the world should not hear. I am telling you the main reason Demuren was removed is to thwart the sector, overrun the place and they have turned the place to a tribal union and the standards are lowered. “To be a successful Director-General, you must be a politician, a diplomat and
a mad man, to grow all that within a short time is difficult. To me, it is unheard of anywhere to have an Ag. Director-General sign an AOC; it’s criminal and it was intentional. “The Senate dragged their feet on his screening after the President has nominated him. The Senate has set a terrible precedent by not allowing him to resume immediately after his nomination by Mr. President because he was supposed to resume immediately he was nominated by the President. I pity him in the atmosphere he has found himself because I don’t know how he’s going to work among the wolves that he’s been surrounded with. He needs a madness to be able to succeed, but he’s a gentleman, but we will shine our eyes and make sure they don’t derail this industry.” It would be recalled that Demuren was sacked on Monday, 11th March, 2013 as the helmsman in the agency after allegedly “failing to give satisfactory answers to several industry issues raised by professionals in the sector.” Akinkuotu, is a 44 years veteran of the aviation industry who still maintains current Airline Transport Pilot Licence, started his aviation career early in life. In 1972, he qualified as an aircraft engineer and joined the defunct Nigeria Airways, as an engineer he practiced for five years and became a duty engineer in the Presidential Fleet. In 1978, he proceeded to USA where he was trained and became qualified as a Commercial Pilot and Flight Engineer. He taught briefly at the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics as Flight Engineer PTM and CPT instructor. Later, he returned to Nigeria to join Nigeria Airways as an airline pilot. He flew as an Airline Captain for Kabo Airlines, served as a Chief Pilot at ADC Airlines and became the Executive Director, Technical Operations at the ADC Airlines. In 2001, Akinkuotu was contracted to set up and run the start up of IRS Airlines and was the pioneer Managing Director of the airline. He later joined Virgin Nigeria (now AIR Nigeria) as Captain B737 in 2006 and he progressed to be the Technical Pilot, Line Training Manager B737 fleet, Type Rating Examiner, Director Flight Operations and Executive Director International Operations.