In the aftermath of the Boeing 727 cargo crash in Ghana and the Sunday, June 3, Dana plane crash in Lagos, the federal government has inaugurated a nine-man technical and administrative review panel on domestic airlines to investigate and recommend ways to improve the sector.
Speaking at the inauguration yesterday in Abuja, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah said that President Jonathan okayed the inauguration of the panel because of his commitment to revitalising domestic airlines operations in the country.
She said: “I wish to assure Nigerians that government is committed to doing whatever is humanly possible to prevent the reoccurrence of such a calamity in future. It is in this respect that the president has approved the setting up of the technical and administrative review panel.”
The minister said that the terms of reference of the panel include to thoroughly review the maintenance practices of Dana Airline as well as all other domestic airline? operators and assess their level of compliance with the Nigerian civil aviation regulations; assess the effectiveness or otherwise of NCAA’s oversight of the maintenance practices of domestic schedule carriers and other regulatory activities.
Others include to examine the management practices and safety culture existing in Dana Air and other domestic flight operators and to make recommendations to the federal government on all of the reference terms above with a view to closing existing gaps that could lead to reoccurrence of such an accident in future.
Members of the panel include the chairman, Group Capt. (Engr.) John Obakpolor (rtd.), Capt. Mfon Udom, Capt. Dele Sasegbon, Capt. Austin Omame, Barr. O. O. Agboola, Engr. Fidelis Onyeyiri, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia, Air Commodore Samson Okon Akpasa and Dr. Anthony Anuforom who will serve as the secretary. The panel has six weeks to turn in its report.
Odua explained that the panels task was different from that of the? Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), which will serve as its resource persons.