The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, directed Federal Ministry of Aviation and relevant agencies to conduct a comprehensive audit of airport personnel.
According to the resolution passed by the House, the reports of the audit exercises which shall be submitted to the House Committee on Aviation, shall include: an assessment of required skills, qualifications, and adherence to professional standards.
In his lead debate on the urgent public importance on urgent need to enhance accountability and competency in Nigerian airports, sponsored by Hon. Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, underscored the dire need to maintain high standards of safety, security, and efficiency at our nation’s airports.
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According to him, “Ensuring that all personnel and contractors are properly qualified and competent is vital for the smooth operation of our airports and the safety of all passengers and stakeholders.
“The House also notes that, the efficient functioning of Nigerian airports is crucial for national security, safety, and economic development.
“The House further notes that recent incidents have raised concerns about the competence and accountability of personnel and contractors working at airports.
“The House is aware of the potential risks to safety, security, and efficiency posed by the appointment of incompetent officers to sensitive positions and the employment of political appointees who may lack the necessary knowledge and competence to manage critical airport functions.
“The House is worried about the abysmal state of our RADAR systems, which present a disaster waiting to happen as RADAR labels often fail at critical times, risking mid-air collisions.
“The House is more worried about the state of our communication radios, with previous attempts to resolve these challenges yielding no positive improvements, leading pilots and controllers to rely on relays from others for necessary instructions, risking national embarrassment.
“The House is disturbed that the stalled Safe Tower project, despite significant investment, needs urgent attention to improve the efficiency of our towers;
More disturbed that the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) Automation project has been ongoing for over 15 years without completion, which could solve communication challenges in the Airspace when completed.
“The House is concerned that recent reports and observations indicating potential irregularities in the employment and appointment of personnel and contractors at major Nigerian airports, specifically in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu.
“The House is more concerned that the recruitment into technical areas must be regulated to prevent the manifestation of incompetence due to skewed recruitment processes. Moreover, appropriate sanctions for erring offenders related to Airspace management should be enforced.
“The House acknowledge that Nigerian airports play a critical role in the nation’s transportation infrastructure and overall economic development, and recognizing the importance of ensuring that all personnel and contractors working at these airports are qualified and competent.
“The House further acknowledges that political appointees play a role in personnel management. However, political influence should not compromise competence. I therefore urge all relevant authorities to prioritise merit-based appointments.”
The House also mandated the Minister’s to carry out an “audit of all Contractors engaged in specialized areas at Nigerian airports in the last one year, assessing their knowledge, competency, and ability to perform their duties effectively and ensure contractors who have been engaged in the last one year to present their company profiles, detailing their expertise and previous work experience.”
In the same vein, the House mandated the Ministry of Aviation to conduct an Audit of Technical systems and projects to thoroughly review of the current state of RADAR systems, radio communications, the Safe Tower project, and the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) Automation project.
Similarly, the House mandated the Minister of Aviation, along with the heads of relevant agencies and departments, to appear before the House Committee on Aviation within the next seven days to address these concerns.
Hence, the House mandated its Committee on Legislative compliance shall diligently oversee the implementation of these resolutions.
