By Capt. Daniel Omale
As the minister of
Aviation, Stella Oduah introduced inconsistent and incomprehensible policies.
One of the failed regulations she proposed was passenger photo identification
for all private jets operating within Nigeria.
The introduction of the
policy was purposely designed to checkmate Rotimi Ameachi, a former governor of
Rivers state, and an adversary of President Jonathan Goodluck.
When River state aircraft,
a Bombardier Global Express, which governor Ameachi had was grounded in Akure
in 2013 by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA), Rotimi Ameachi’s
regular movement in other private jets needed to be monitored, hence the
promulgation of the “Private jets
passenger identification” ordinance.
Fortunately, due to public
outcry, and Stella Oduah’s celebrated removal from office, the policy died a
natural death. Or so we thought.
Now the table has turned;
Ameachi has become the minister of transport, of which aviation ministry is
directly under its purview. The same private jets passenger photo
identification policy has been reactivated. The NAMA’s circular dated June 24,
2016, signed by one Pwajok M, L, states: “Submission of GENDEC, Passenger
Manifest and Photo Identity by Private Aircraft Operation.”
What the minister of
transport does not know is that the same aviation cartel that misled Stella
Oduah to her disgraceful exit is actively with him. These quasi, self-ordained
aviation professionals will lead him or his minister of state, Hadi Sirika,
into the same path of deconstruction of the sector.
Private Jet owners or
operators are not, in any way, the problem of aviation industry in Nigeria.
Instead, they contribute more that 60% of the total revenues generated. Therefore, creating impediments to efficient
private aircraft operation is not only anti-industry growth, but shear shortsightedness.
Every day in this country,
private jet owners, especially those with foreign registrations, pay in excess
of $500,000 (N180m) as statutory fees to various aviation agencies. It is
therefore, unwise, and unnecessary to reintroduce this unrealistic, draconian
policy.
For those canvassing to
uphold this stipulation, using security concern as the core reason, there is no
single private, foreign registered aircraft in Nigeria that is unknown to the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). This also means that the owner of
such an aircraft and his operational characteristics are duly certificated.
There has never been a private aircraft engaged in any subversive activity in
Nigeria.
Foreign registered private
aircraft are better maintained, especially those registered to the United
States and European financiers or lessors. With dual safety oversight (the NCAA
& foreign CAA), it is only natural to expect and accept higher quality
routine and schedule maintenance.
If this senseless policy
is aimed at frustrating individuals with private Jets, there is obviously no
need for such, because those who looted our national treasury to acquire assets
have since run out of the country with their aircraft.
There are also those who
constantly call for all foreign registered private Jets to de-register to
Nigerian tail number for ease of employing Nigerian pilots. This idea is far
beyond ordinary rhetoric or adoption of some irrational policy. If Nigeria’s
banks /financial institutions can’t support investments in equipment acquisition,
it is only fair to allow those who can secure aircraft financing from abroad to
stay within the terms and conditions of such loans. One of them is to keep the
aircraft registered in a more liberal country of the world for easy
repossession.
The only way to create
jobs for the hundreds of young pilots in our midst is for the federal
government to support anyone interested in venturing into commercial aviation
with softer, more affordable loan through the bank of industry. Unless access
to lower cost of funds is available in Nigeria, no regulation can sway
entrepreneurs from doing what is “best for business.”
The new Civil Aviation
Regulations (CARs) of 2016 with some clauses centered on expunging “Part G”
aircraft importation and operation in Nigeria are untenable. Nigeria is a
signatory to Cape Town convention. This Convention provides for the
constitution and effects of an international interest in certain categories of
mobile equipment and associated rights. It commenced in 2001 and ratified in
2006 by 69 countries, including Nigeria.
Before these rules can
become effective, the NCAA should write and be approved to withdraw Nigeria
from the countries that ratified the articles of the Cape Town Convention.
Anything other than that, will be a violation of the applicable laws in the
international agreement.
While I can appreciate
selfishness on the part of those who feel threatened that the few lucky
aircraft operators in Nigeria, who can source aircraft from abroad pose immense
threat to the competition, it is definitely not a single person’s call to
cancel an international agreement without due national authorisation.
It is the NCAA’s
responsibility to safeguard all international aviation agreements ratified by
Nigeria. A single airline operator in Nigeria cannot, and should not coerce the
agency to make rules that are tantamount to the general standards and best
practices worldwide. This shallow and greedy motive by some airline owners in
this country has threatened industry growth, and future prospect.
Nigeria’s aviation
business is bigger and larger than any single airline owner to dictate its
modus operandi.
For effective CARS,
stakeholders must be given ample time to diligently review and deliberate on
what is tenable and untenable in every part of the regulations. If it took the
NCAA four years to compile the 4000 plus pages of the new CARs, operators need,
at least, one year to digest and propose rational amendments to this humongous
booklet. Hasty implementation of the various updated clauses will create more
damage to a sector already in fragility.
Those calling for the
abolition of part G aircraft operation are not only being selfish and
senseless, they are shallow-minded and, ignorant of what the Cape Town
Convention stands for, towards aviation development in developing nations.
Also, those instigating
the minister of transport to enforce private Jets passenger photo
identification prior to each flight are simply disrupting smooth flow of
aircraft operation in Nigeria. They have always exploited the system into
retrogression.
Capt. Daniel Omale writes from Abuja
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