The Senate, yesterday painted a gloomy future for the Nigeria’s aviation sector, describing it as one with the most hostile environment in the entire world.
This is even as many of the trained pilots in the land cried out to the Upper Legislative Chamber to bail them out of joblessness through required legislations.
Senate’s assessment of the sector came through its Deputy Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South), when he had in audience with leaders of the National Association of Aircrafts Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) in his office.
NAAPE, led by its President, Jacob Ogwu, had urged Senator Na’Allah in his capacity as Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation beam its search lights on problems bedeviling the sector for required solutions.
Na’Allah, in his response, told the visiting pilots and engineers that the executive and not the Senate should be pressurised to urgently do what were right for the sector to grow and be in proper shape.
“Nigeria’s aviation sector, being the most hostile one to investors and other key players, the current 8th Senate within three months of its inception in 2015, debated on a motion sponsored by me on problems bedeviling the sector and came up with far-reaching 24 point resolutions for the needed way out but none of the resolutions have been considered by the executive for more than two years now.
“So, to us in the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, we have done the needful by proffering solutions. It is left for the executive to implement the resolutions.”
“As we stand today, we have the most hostile aviation operation environment and you cannot develop aviation under this hostile environment. It is not possible because business people want to make profit and you know in aviation, profit is not available, aircraft is working for pilot, is working for insurance and engineers. So, there is nothing actually.
“Unless we look at these issues seriously we can never guarantee the growth of general aviation which will serve as a support to the airline and thereby a robust economic stimulant for movement of goods and services in Nigeria.”
