The Menace of Flying-Coffins...
After having a fulfilling number of hours with Harold Demuren, managing director and ceo , Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) in a landmark interview for publication in our global magazine, BusinessWorld 100 , two years ago, I resolved to have deep confidence in the industry , especially with regards to safety standards. Demuren's explanations on the operating rules and standards within the country's airspace was very tempting and capable of instilling some good level of participation from deep-pocket investors who may want to reap from the treasures of the over 150 million Nigerians. The long and short of his very detailed story was that the time for carelessness, where technical incompetence and material unavailability constitute the main dangers in the lives of users had gone. Demuren was explained as one of the best hands in the industry in Africa and one of the gains of the graceful return of our diaspora professionals. By the time this chieftain was extolling the virtues of the industry, the Nigerian airspace was some three years free from any air hazard that could be described as serious. I can understand Demuren's passion for safety. One day I had the privilege of sitting close to him , I watched as he made some scarring gestulations when the sound of the aircraft changes or when any strange sound comes up. I used his picture as a gauge to what would happen.Considering the number of airlines that have been licensed to operate in the country, one was even very skeptical of Demuren's safety logics based on the nature of pressure that would follow and the interests that may force the regulators from shifting the posts. Having won several laurels and finally gotten the CAT 1 certification through the ICAO rigorous tests, one had no doubt but to take Demuren by his words and go to sleep with all the eyes closed. This is why I would always want my family to go to Owerri or Enugu by flight. I began to see the airspace as good as we can have in the developed world. Suddenly, I became a collector of air tickets which could be used at very short notice. In fact, this love became infectious to the extent that I am now a client of one of the registered travel agencies. I see this as one of such passions that any developing mind can have and that is the price we have to pay when government upgrades our lifestyle by providing functional infrastructure.
While defending the technical efficiency of the airlines in the country, Demuren had told us that NCAA has now been authorised to issue an Air Operators Certificate (AOC). Hear him, “This is part of licensing that is meant for the airlines. Nobody can engage in air transportation without an AOC. It is very important to us that you must have it. There are no two-ways about it and there are a lot of requirements attached to it. That was what Arik Air went through, and in doing that, they have to submit about 52 manuals to us. About 28 were to be approved, the rest were to be accepted and in doing this, there are five stages of AOC certification; pre-certification, documentation, then to demonstration. In this demonstration, you have to fly the airplane empty without carrying passengers and you have to demonstrate for 50 hours. In the case of Arik Air, it had to fly brand new aircraft empty from here to London, because they have to demonstrate to us that they can carry out safe operations. When they also told us that they want to be going to Johannesburg, we also asked them to fly the aircraft with only our inspectors and their crew to demonstrate that”.
That was vintage Demuren! His ideas on the safety issues are of global standard but that could be where the safety issues began and stopped. May be the chief executive never considered that these perfect ideas are to be implemented by people whose characters and value-delivery attributes, should be as perfect as the idea. What would be the result in a case where very corrupt Nigerians and technically inefficient minds are the hands that will drive these lofty moves. While interviewing Demuren, I was very sure that the pie he was baking would one day get clubbing, considering the antecedents of a common Nigerian civil servant. This is because the civil service in Nigeria has remained the most corrupt segment in the economy as records have shown. Examples abound where Demuren's men cannot be trusted to stick to the ICAO rules without cutting corners.
There was this pathetic incident at NCAA where a contractor was asked to supply a generator in the house of a former director in-charge or the Directorate of Airworthiness Standards(DAS) for the cost of about N2 million , but when the contract was fully effected and executed, the director erased the company name of the supplier and implanted his company name and went forward to recommend that, the amount should be paid to his company. The N2 million was paid and he collected the money . When the real contractor searched for his voucher and was not seeing it, he lodged a very severe protest which led to the search where the discovery was made. The man was exposed and asked to pay the money the next day. Before 9. am the next day, he rushed to the office with the stolen money in cash. This development may not have seen the light of the day because of the various levels of conspiracies and cover-ups that abound today in many government offices. What Demuren may not know is that the director who stole a contractor's N2 million can collect less that amount from various airlines to offer them access to the sky where anything could happen. At this time, the NCAA would have succeeded in sending poorly maintained aircraft to the sky as flying-coffins. The fact remains that we must try to marry all aspects of the desired needs to comply with the same efficiency standards, otherwise, one day, the bubble will burst; like it has just happened.
I am very sure that our problem is no more about our airspace. Where a lot needs to be done, is the area of strategic personnel who should be in good mind-set and devoid of the greed and poverty mentality attributes, that have made many rich Nigerian to continue to behave like paupers. This may be a tall order !
Requiem To a Super-ego...
This is the second time in less than five years, prominent Ideato sons would be killed in an aircrash. The first was Chief Igwe of Bolingo Hotels firm who died in the Bellview crash in Ogun State. Today, they are overwhelmed again with the death of Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, a splendid Public Relations (PR) improsario. While Igwe was from Obodoukwu town, Ajuonuma was from Isiekenesi, all in Imo State. The similarity between two of them is that they are all socially accessible and of great value to the country. Ideato people all over the world are highly industrious people with very respectable dose of perfect human attributes. These have been largely responsible for the overwhelming wealth they enjoy. They are ordinarily confident, which many people arrogate to arrogance.
Each time I remember that I am of the same tribe with Ajuonuma I get so much tripped. This is because everyone wants to be associated with someone of class and style. I still wonder how long-faced the women in my town will look all these day, as they still hope that their son, who has struck national relevance with dint of hard work may be out for ever.
I did not know Levi as a towns-folk. I knew him through his works. First as a disk-jockey(DJ) with Imo Broadcasting Service (IBS), where his name rang every morning as a presenter of the very popular Morning Show which every young man would not want to miss. It was a musical and rap programme that is mixed with social commentaries. He left this for the golden-fleece in the US. My sojourn with him in the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Sunday Show, as a financial sector analyst was quite rewarding and fulfilling. At the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), he stood like a Gestapo, deflecting and directing all the hot-shots that could now be some of the major reminiscences of his life.
I can recall his commentary on our Sunday Show during one of the ill-fated crashes, where he rebuked the aviation authority over carelessness . He was usually blunt and makes his plea in ways that deliver the message but soothes the pains of its indictment. Little did he realise that he was trying to fight a battle for his life , which he eventually lost. Go, go in peace , my big brother !!
Each time I remember that I am of the same tribe with Ajuonuma I get so much tripped. This is because everyone wants to be associated with someone of class and style. I still wonder how long-faced the women in my town will look all these day, as they still hope that their son, who has struck national relevance with dint of hard work may be out for ever.
I did not know Levi as a towns-folk. I knew him through his works. First as a disk-jockey(DJ) with Imo Broadcasting Service (IBS), where his name rang every morning as a presenter of the very popular Morning Show which every young man would not want to miss. It was a musical and rap programme that is mixed with social commentaries. He left this for the golden-fleece in the US. My sojourn with him in the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Sunday Show, as a financial sector analyst was quite rewarding and fulfilling. At the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), he stood like a Gestapo, deflecting and directing all the hot-shots that could now be some of the major reminiscences of his life.
I can recall his commentary on our Sunday Show during one of the ill-fated crashes, where he rebuked the aviation authority over carelessness . He was usually blunt and makes his plea in ways that deliver the message but soothes the pains of its indictment. Little did he realise that he was trying to fight a battle for his life , which he eventually lost. Go, go in peace , my big brother !!