Dana Airlines: Reps to summon Aviation Minister

*As FAAN denies borrowing $500m to acquire 30 aircraft

The House of Representatives may summon the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah over the resumption of flight operations by Dana Airlines.
A Lagos-bound Dana airplane had on June 3, last year crashed few minutes to landing at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, MMA, claiming all the 153 lives on board.
The crash led to an inquest by the House committee on Aviation. The report of the investigation had indicted the Ministry of Aviation, but specifically blamed the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority NCAA, Dr. Harold Demurren, recommending his sack and prosecution for “criminal negligence”.
The House report, which was debated and passed for presidential consideration had also directed that the license of the airline should be withdrawn, but NCAA, in defiance, authorized the airline to resume operations, even as relations of the victims of the air crash are yet to be compensated.
Recommendation 11 of the report of the House had stated that “Dana’s current AOC should be revoked because it was not issued in compliance with NCAA Civil Regulations Guideline 2009.”
In an exclusive chat with National Mirror yesterday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha said the Committee intends to look into the matter when it resumes next week.
“You know how the Committee works; all the breaches identified will be addressed by the Ministry. The report as it is now is the property of the House, so the House would have a final say on that (resumption of operations),” she said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, yesterday denied that the Federal Government borrowed $500m from China to acquire aircraft for domestic airline operators.
Speaking on the issue, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati insisted that the agency did not borrow money from anywhere to acquire aircraft, adding that the agency was not planning to acquire aircraft for any operators.
Rather, he said that the Ministry of Aviation is making arrangements to facilitate the acquisition of 30 airplanes to boost the operations of domestic airlines.
He noted that modalities for those to benefit from the aircraft are being worked out by the government, which he said would help to checkmate the abuse of the fund by beneficiaries.
He said: “This strategy will plug the loophole that allows fortune seekers free access to these funds. Other strategies are being deployed to grow the domestic airlines. Princess Oduah’s successfully campaign for the removal of taxes and tariffs on commercial airline spare parts is being widely commended as a step in the right direction.”