By Emmanuel Elebeke

SHORTLY after the appointment of the aviation minister, the labour unions in the industry opposed the appointment, on the ground that the minister is not a technocrat but in this interview, former President of Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative, NASI, Retired Captain Tito Omaghomi disagree with them, saying that it does not matter the profession the minister come from but that what they should concern themselves with is appointing technocrats to head the various parastatals in the aviation sector.

He also spoke on the recent attainment of category 1 certificate by FAAN, state of infrastructure at the nation’s airports, why the liquidation of Nigerian airways should be challenged in the law court, autonomy of NCAA. He also spoke on the danger of duplicating airports by some states government. Excerpts:

What is your take on the opposition of the labour unions in the industry to the appointment of new aviation minister, Mrs. Odua Ogiemwonyi, who they considered a non-aviator?

*Retired Captain Tito Omaghomi

The appointment of the honourable minister of aviation, Mrs. Odua Ogiemwonyi is in the right direction. I have said it over and over time and still maintain that the honourable minister of aviation must not be am aviator.

What we should be concerned with is the appointment of the heads of parastatals in the aviation industry: Managing Directors, Director Generals, Rector of the flying school in Zaria. Those are the areas those unions should concern themselves with and not who is a minister.

You can observe that for the past two to three years, I make bold to say that we have had the right people in position in the aviation industry.

That is why we have had calm over the past two years in the aviation industry, because the head of NCAA is ahead of his game, the Rector of of the flying school in Zaria ahead of his game, the managing director of NAMA is ahead of his game and MD of FAAN as well. They are doing very well. So, with a minister just sitting there to append signature to all decisions taken, he does not need to be a an aviator.

After all we have had occasions where we had aviators as ministers of aviation and there was no change, nothing happened and we went through hail during that time. Captain Bricks was a minister and never changed anything, Okpere was a minister, and never changed anything just same way others operated the ministry.

Air Vice Marshal Ita Udeme was also minister and Air Vice Marshal Edwork were all ministers and they could not do anything different. So, what I’m saying is that, you do not have to be an aviator before you can be a minister of aviation.

The president should be advised that 60% of board appointments should be technocrats. They can formulate policies that can augur well for the aviation industry.

Another thing the President should be advised on is the special adviser on aviation, whom he inherited from Yar’ Adua and the same person Yar’ Adua inherited from Obasanjo.

I make bold to say that he is not a technocrat, nor an aviator. He has no pedigree to be adviser to the President in this country. The President should look for somebody else, who is a technocrat.

How could safety and security be bolstered at the nation’s airport, especially against the backdrop of the spate of bombing across the country?

The security in our nation’s airports is porous. With airports, we all know that the world is a global village. What affects Muritala International Airport affects Miami International airport, JFK international airport, and other airports across the globe.

So, if security is right here, it is right in all these airports. If it is wrong, it is wrong in all airports. It can be right in Miami and JFK international airports but if it is not right here in the MMA, Lagos, it is not right anywhere in the world, in view of the fact that the world is a global village today.

From my observation, I discovered that cars are packed indiscriminately at our airports left right and centre. Some are abandoned right there in front of departure. FAAN should d o something about it. Anybody can come there with cars full of bombs and just abandoned them there. Then, it will be a national disaster to this country.

Today, Nigeria has attained category 1 certification by US FAA, what can we do to sustain the certificate, particularly as Mexixo lost its own recently?

First of all, I have to congratulate the aviation industry in Nigeria, especially the Director General of NAMA. However, what they should know is that it is one thing to have the certificate and another thing to keep it.

And so the attainment of the certificate is not a guarantee. It is all about sustainability . If you can’t maintain it, it will be withdrawn. It is our duty now to maintain what we have obtained and we need to work harder to maintain it.

What could have been the secret behind this attainment?

Are you satisfied with the rate of infrastructure at the nation’s airports

The DG of NCAA and his team have done a good job with the co-operation of all other agencies because checks I know how stringent such checks can be.

The NCAA don’t joke with such checks and they can come and go at any time with out noticing. Whatever NCAA have done to attain this feat, they should please maintain it, for it to be worthy of its attainment.

Whose duty is it actually to conduct these check because this days you can see a sorts of security and uniform men including FAAN staff doing the same thing?

Havoc could be done at any check point in airport. If it is not done properly, it can lead to danger. All the security agents need to be on top of their game in checking travelers at all points.

The immigration, State Security Service, Customs, Plant Quarantine, and Narcotics should all put hands together to get it done very well, because at these check points, it is easy to see these security agents allowing people to go away, without checking them and their luggage in the name of man Know Man.

It is absolutely wrong in issues of security like this, nobody should be above the law, no matter his position in the society. It should no longer be a matter of Et Spirit Du Corps.

People should be checked thoroughly: ministers, governors, commissioners, Directors generals, Managing Directors . Everybody should be subjected to thorough examination before checking in at any airport.

Still on security, it has become a common thing for passengers to lose their luggage or have them tampered with by the staff of the airliners and when they complain, the management tries to exonerate their staff, under this circumstance who should be held responsible?

Nobody will give you an excuse on lost of your baggage, pilfering either within or outside Nigeria that it is not the responsibility of airliners because that airliner has officials wherever that airplane is coming from.

So, it is their responsibility to safe-guide your loads until you pick them up on arrival. That is the truth and that airline should be held responsible should such a thing happen to any traveler.