Condemnation has continued to trail the recent lopsided recruitments conducted by the last administration into different agencies in the aviation sector.

Joining in the condemnation, the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) took time off to bemoan the illegal recruitments, especially at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), saying it negated the Act setting up the agency.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the 52nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference of NATCA, with the theme: ‘Airspace Management and Contingent Cost Recovery Plan: Proposing a New Approach’, the NATCA President, Mr. Abayomi Agoro, said while there is dearth of requisite technical manpower and inadequate human capital development in NAMA, the type of manpower being recruited into the agency is completely at variance with its real needs.

Agoro, challenged the management of NAMA to do a holistic evaluation of the staff strength of the agency on a departmental or directorate basis, in line with the core mandate of the agency as well as the standard template accepted by the Civil Air Navigation Service Organisation (CANSO) and industry best practice.

“The systematic migration from core mandates of the agency and proliferation of departments and directorates that have no bearing in the aviation and aerospace system is of utmost concern to all well-meaning watchers of events in the industry.

“Our association has observed with alarm the proliferation and establishment of departments and directorates that have no direct or incidental bearing on the core mandates of the agencies in the sector, but rather add to the overhead costs of the affected agencies and further promote inefficiency, most especially, NAMA.

“We are sure as a legal mind you will agree with us that there are departments and/or directorates that have not been provided for or intended by the provisions in the NAMA Establishment Act 22 of 2022 (as amended).”

Meantime and for the umpteenth time, the long time issue of how pilots fly blindlyin the nation’s airspace has again reared its head with the immediate past President of Aviation Round Table (ART), Dr Gabriel Olowo insisting that that pilots still fly blind in some spots between Lagos and Abuja, despite the huge investment in the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON).

Olowo who spoke as the Chairman of the NATCA AGM, said that some airports should have been shut down by the government due to their deplorable conditions.

He however, lauded the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo for the audacious step taken to shut down the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Olowolayemo therefore, proposed that the huge foreign currency spent by the Federal and State governments on pilgrimage to holy lands should have been used to settle the trapped funds belonging to foreign airlines in Nigeria as a way of bringing succour to the airlines and the travelling public. (Nigerian Tribune)

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