In a bid to prevent further air crashes,
the Nigerian Navy may cede its helicopters to the Nigerian Air Force,
which is believed to have the capacity to maintain aircraft.
The Navy imported its Augusta
helicopters from an Italian company, Augusta Westland, in 2004 to aid
its military and security operations in the Niger Delta. One of the
helicopters crashed on Dec. 15 in Bayelsa State.
Before the advent of democracy in 1999,
only the Nigerian Air Force had aircraft. It had the responsibility to
provide aircraft for the military needs of the other two services.
However, the committee investigating the
Dec. 15 helicopter crash that killed Governor Patrick Yakowa and Gen.
Owoye Azazi, was inaugurated at the Air Force headquarters last week
under the leadership of an air commodore.
Investigations showed that some security
chiefs had proposed that aircraft in the fleet of the Navy be handed
over to the Air Force.
It was, however, learnt that the plan
had not gone down well with some naval personnel, who pointed out that
even the Air Force had had its own share of air crashes.
It was gathered that President Goodluck
Jonathan was considering the implementation of the proposal before the
naval helicopter crashed on Dec. 15 in Bayelsa State.
However, the implementation of the advice has been put on hold till the investigation into the crash is concluded.
It was learnt that security chiefs and the President would decide on the issue after the report of the probe had been submitted.
There has been concern in military circles about the five air crashes involving military aircraft under two years.
On March 22, 2011, a Nigerian Air Force
pilot died when the F7-Ni fighter jet he was flying crashed at the
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The plane was said to have been
undergoing a routine training programme known as ‘Touch-and-Go.’
The Kano crash was followed by another
Air Force fighter jet F7-Ni accident in Gboko, Benue State, on May, 10
2011. The ill-fated jet crash-landed near the Yandev Community Secondary
School, at Kilometre 4, Buruku Road, but no casualties were recorded in
that accident.
On May 2, 2012, another Nigerian Air Force F7-Ni jet crashed at the Kaduna International Airport in Kaduna.
The Director, Public Relations of the
Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, had said in a statement
that the fighter jet crashed while on a routine training exercise.
Top military sources, who expressed
concern about the crashes, noted that the four crashes (including the
Dec. 15 accident) did not include the one that killed four police
officers in March.
A police surveillance helicopter had
crashed in Jos on March 13, killing four persons on board, including a
Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Haruna John.
Investigations showed that those pushing
for the handing over of all military aircraft to the Air Force hinged
their argument on the fact that it (Air Force) was in the best position
to handle them.
But it was gathered that those who were
opposed to the plan had argued that pilots working with the Navy and the
Army were as trained as their Air Force counterparts.
The military source, who confided in one
of our correspondents, said, “Following incessant crashes involving the
military, some security chiefs, including retired ones, have advised
that the Navy and Army should give their planes to the Air Force because
its personnel are trained to handle the aircraft.
“But there is a division on the issue as
there are people who believe that the present arrangement should
continue as the Air Force has had its own share of air crashes.”
Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Yakowa,
and a former National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi, died on Dec.
15 when the Augusta 109 helicopter that was transporting them from
Okokoma in Bayelsa State to Port Harcourt crashed.
Although the Navy has begun
investigations into the crash, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum is insisting
that it should be part of the probe into the accident.
A former Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, had in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said Nigeria should not copy the United States’ military structure, where the three armed forces have their separate fleet.
The former police commissioner had said,
“I remember when Gen. Victor Malu was the Chief of Army Staff, he said
that we should not copy the United States, where the Navy and the Army
have separate air fleets different from that of the Air Force.
“We have the Air Force, whose personnel
are sufficiently trained in using aircraft for operations. Let the Air
Force handle aircraft so that whichever service wants to use aircraft
will liaise with the Air Force. The Air Force should be properly
funded.”
When contacted, the Director, Army
Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Bolaji Koleosho, referred our correspondent
to the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu.
Koleosho stated that it was not necessary for him to comment on the issue as the Army did not have any helicopter.
He said that the Army had been depending on the Nigerian Air Force for all military-related air movements.
“In the first place, the Army does not
have any helicopter for now. So, you can contact the spokesperson of the
Nigerian Navy to speak on that issue.
“We normally contact the Air Force for
our air freight. Any time we need a military movement that necessitates
air transport, we contact the Air Force. If we want to carry out any
training that involves air transportation, we contact the Air Force,” he
said.
Efforts made to contact the Director of Naval Information were not fruitful as calls to his mobile telephone did not go through.
However, the Director of Air Force Information, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, said he was not aware of the development.
He said it would not be right to say
that the committee investigating the crash of the naval helicopter was
inaugurated at the Air Force Headquarters.
Meanwhile, the husband of the Minister
of State for Defence, Dr. Felix Obada, escaped death by a whisker at
Ogbia in Bayelsa State on Dec. 15, 2012.
An investigation showed that the naval
helicopter ‘Helo 07,’ which was involved in the crash, was actually
released to pick Obada, who was at the burial ceremony in Bayelsa.
But Obada had already left the venue of
the ceremony after waiting for 30 minutes for the helicopter to take him
back to Port Harcourt when Azazi, who got there before him, was picked
up for the 22-minute flight.
It was strongly speculated that the crew
of the ill-fated helicopter might have decided to pick up Azazi for the
flight to the Port Harcourt airport because of his high profile in the
military.
It was gathered that Azazi was at the landing space to board a Calverton helicopter, but decided to go with the naval helicopter which arrived first.
Obada, who was said to have been
disturbed by the 30-minute delay of the helicopter, was trying to locate
the landing space when the news filtered in that a helicopter carrying
Yakowa and Azazi was missing.
It was learnt that Yakowa was prevailed
upon to wait behind by the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson,
who was to host him in Yenagoa.
Yakowa was said to have turned down
Dickson’s overtures on the grounds that he was working on a paper which
he was to deliver somewhere in Abuja.
It was gathered that the late governor,
whose helicopter was billed to land in a few minutes’ time, later
decided to go with the former National Security Adviser, Azazi.
Punch
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