By CHINEDU BOSAH

The aviation sector best explains the scenario. For example, it is difficult for the domestic airlines to afford new and functional planes because they don’t have the financial muscle and so they buy relatively cheap and very old aircraft.

It is also very expensive maintaining an aircraft, especially the old ones due to high cost of aviation fuel and other associated costs. This is partly the reason why the airline operators repeatedly go cap in hand to government for bailout similar to the recent banks’ bailout. The big airlines that have the capacity to operate a functional airline service can hardly fly the domestic route since just a few people could afford the airfare. Patronage is a key aspect of business, particularly in a capital-intensive sector like aviation.

When patronage is low to the extent that profit is not guaranteed on a sustainable long term basis because of low purchasing power, the capitalist either do not venture into such business or move their capital to where profit is assured. Moreso, when profit is threatened or in pursuit of more of it, safety, standard and workers welfare are undermined, which will have negative impact on operations and services rendered. So, those who are waiting for private investors to develop or industrialise our economy are either wallowing in delusion or deliberately spreading deception.

The best we can get from private investors is to come and exploit for profit and not to meet the needs of all. It may take imperialism for strategic reason to massively invest in a Third World country like Nigeria in order to protect its interest or stabilise its pliant domestic rulers when it is threatened by either revolution or mass movement such as the Marshal Plan project after World War II.

There is only one way out. And that way out is collective and democratic approach. There is no rationality that one man can best handle a situation better than the collective will of a people united in the quest for growth and development.

If the present rulers can conveniently and consistently bail out private investors to the tune of trillions of Naira owned by the public, while the same funds as well as the abundant human and natural resources can best be invested in a planned manner to rebuild the state of infrastructure to meet the needs of all in the long run, shows clearly the web of connection between those occupying public offices and private investors just for the purpose of protecting private interest against overall public interest.

The Nigeria Airways was built by the state and with public funds but was run aground through the pursuit of private interest (corruption) like every other public utility. The only economic approach that will save such company is to keep it public and introduce democratic control and management wherein workers/experts and the consumers shall be elected and subjected to recall anytime. Every transaction is done in an open and transparent manner alongside abrogation of official secrecy. These are key measures that will drastically reduce bureaucratic bottleneck and abrogate corruption.

Expectedly, government will set up panel to look into the crash; another panel will be set up later to scrutinize the earlier panel report and the rigmarole will continue in vicious circle, wasting public funds; those found wanting may not be prosecuted and business will continue as usual and with no lesson to be learnt.

Beyond the crocodile tears, speech- making and grandstanding, and waiting for another disaster to happen, government should resurrect the Nigeria Airways (a national public funded carrier) with massive investment, get modern aircraft on its fleet, employ the right set of experts and workers, pay living wage and introduce democratic management and control by workers in the sector and consumers if there must be any meaningful and sustainable development in the sector. This is the only sure way to sustain development in the aviation sector and to end the vicious circle.

I commiserate with the families of all victims of the Dana air crash, both on board and on ground. Hence, adequate compensation should be paid to all affected families, including those affected on the ground.

Mr. Bosah, a social critic, wrote from Lagos.