The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has lent their support to the National Assembly on their stand that the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) of Dana Air should be withdrawn, stating that people should not view their involvement in the issue as meddlesomeness.
“The National Assembly has oversight responsibility over the Ministry of Aviation and its affairs. It therefore, does not make sense for anyone to consider their involvement with the Dana crash as meddlesomeness.
“Of significant import too is the fact that the National Assembly has a responsibility to protect national interest, especially knowing that agencies such as the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) serve purely professional interests”, said the NAAPE National President, Engineer Balami Isaac David.
The NAAPE President was reacting based on the barrage of attacks by industry stakeholders on the National Assembly who have been accused for not having a true knowledge or understanding of the aviation industry. For instance, their resolutions and pronouncements on the aviation industry since the Dana Air aircraft accident of June 3, 2012 have not augur well.
Speaking further, David said “those who question the competence of the National Assembly should remember that the Joint Committee on Aviation carried out painstaking investigation into the crash, which involved open and private hearings. And the conclusions of the committees were gleaned from presentations by professionals and relevant stakeholders. It would therefore amount to betrayal of sorts for those who supplied such information to the committee to turn round and accuse the committees of using same information.”
Both Houses of Assembly have taken unilateral resolutions to the effect that the AOC of Dana Air be revoked while the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should be fired for incompetence, negligence and corrupt practices, especially over the Dana Air aircraft accident last year which claimed more than 160 lives.
However, NAAPE cautioned that accident investigations are usually meant to correct anomalies and are not punitive in nature even as they reminded the national assembly that they could achieve more in an atmosphere devoid of rancour.
