ATSSSAN President Cautions Arm-Chair 'Experts' And 'Analysts' On Negative Comments On Safety Of Aircraft In Nigeria

by Lateef Lawal

(WireNews+Co) - Lagos, Nigeria - 17 June 2012

The President of the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN), Corade Benjamin Okewu has warned people casting aspersion on the safety of the country’s airspace and airlines to be careful of the consequences such negative outburst could lead to.

He said from many of what had been published in the newspapers aired on radio and television stations, it was very clear that those acclaimed experts and analysts lacked information about the industry they were talking about.

Comrade Okewu was speaking with journalists at the weekend on the various issues raised in the media by some people aftermath of the June 3,2012 Dana plane crash. The un-edited transcript of the briefing he had with members of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents is published below:

‘’You will recall that ATSSSAN has not had any press conference since the Dana plane crash.

This is basically because as professionals we know what should be done and by implication, we know that it will be too early for us to begin to conclude or make assumption as to the reason why the air plane crashed.

Knowing full well that the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) is the custodian of that responsibility.

Secondly for the fact that we also believe that the press conference at that time was not necessary.

However, the events of the past weeks has compel us to organise this press conference to say the truth as we know it and at the same time to allay the fears of Nigerians who uses air travel and use the opportunity to set the records straight with regards to some negative allegations that have been published in the newspapers and electronic media-both television and radio over the past two weeks since the Dana plane crash and at the same time to caution the so called experts and analysts who are making negative insinuations over the aviation industry in Nigeria as a way of correcting those allegations and setting the records straight.

First and foremost and critical of all the analysis is the age of the aircraft. We've heard severally, that the age of the aircraft has a direct function with the efficiency of the plane.

That, we want to say is not correct because like you know, the aviation industry has a system of checks and balances.

Maintenance of aircraft from check A to D are made mandatory.

We have a culture of ensuring that the aircraft are adequately maintained, and most of the parts in the aircraft have what we call-Service Lifespan, utilization period. What that means is that every part after the expiration of the lifespan is changed and when you change those parts in the aircraft, it is assumed that aircraft is new.

Again, all over the world there is nowhere where the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has banned any aircraft model from flying due to old age.

Yes, governments of various nations domesticate their own laws to ban some specific model of aircraft from their airspace but that does not to say that ICAO has banned a specific model as a result of old age.

That is why the BAC1-11 that we ban in Nigeria are still being used in several airspace in the world today.

There is also this angle that we do not have sufficient human capacity to carry out the regulatory functions of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

We do not want to be seen as speaking for NCAA, but we have to say the truth and if we must say the truth, you will agree with us that NCAA passed through the ICAO Audit in 2006 and there was also another FAA Audit in 2008 and I know very well that one of the eight (8) critical components of that audit has within it that you must have human capacity in sufficient number.

By implication, if NCAA does not have the prerequisite human capacity to undertake their responsibility, it is not possible for NCAA to have passed those two audits.

Therefore ,our responsibility is to challenge those making such allegations to come out with their facts.

The facts before us shows that we have the requisite inspectors in sufficient numbers to undertake the responsibility of oversight in various airlines.

Finally, yes we symphatise with the families of the victims of the plane crash, that is not what we want for the aviation industry in Nigeria, more so when we just celebrated zero accident free in the past six years in the country two months ago.

That, however does not mean that because we had this crash, every dick and harry should come on air in the name of analysis to say what they do not have sufficient information to speak on.

It is out of place to start to condemn what has been achieved by the same NCAA , especially the attainment of FAA Category 1 Safety Status over the years thereby giving an impression that NCAA has gone to sleep.

We have said severally that as union leaders, we have responsibility of protecting the interest of our members and to also ensure that the traveling public get the best of what they paid for and that includes ensuring that the various airlines where we have members don't cut corners.

That also includes that our members employed in those airlines are in the right frame of mind to do their job either as an engineer, pilot, dispatcher or as cabin crew.

Basically if you are not in the right frame of mind either due to the ,non-payment of your salary or that your allowances are not paid or that the environment within which you work is not conducive, then there is tendency to have human error that is why we have the responsibility to ensure that the traveling public have the best for what they paid for.

We which to say that we believe strongly from the inputs of our members in the aviation industry that our airspace is safe and that the aircraft flying our airspace are airworthy and we will not rest in ensuring that we work together with various aviation agencies to ensure that our industry is safe''.

NigerianAviationNews