Aviation
FG suspends Adeboye’s jet over expired documents
The Federal Government through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has grounded a private chopper belonging to Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at the Lagos airport, investigations by Sunday PUNCH has revealed.
It was learnt that the aircraft, AgustaWestland AW139 chopper, with registration number 5N-EAA, was suspended from flying over two weeks ago, following the expiration of some of its papers and spare parts.
The suspension, officials said, would also allow the regulator to conduct vital safety checks on its safety-critical components, especially some spare parts that are due for replacement.
Adeboye had last Saturday during a special meeting with all ordained ministers of the mission at the RCCG, Region 21, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, called for drastic action against corrupt practices in all facets of Nigeria.
The RCCG leader, who flew a chopper to the venue, said he arrived late for the meeting because someone had requested a bribe from him to fly his chopper.
He said he had decided to embark on the trip via his chopper to avoid a possible gridlock on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The 79-year-old mathematician-turned-preacher said, “I don’t give excuses because I have discovered long ago that only failures give excuses. But you must pray for Nigeria.
“Something must be done about corruption in this nation. All I can say is that I am this late because somebody wanted a bribe. And you know if you are expecting a bribe from me, you have to wait forever.
“But the devil has failed. And the devil will continue to fail. I decided to come by helicopter so that there won’t be a traffic jam that would tie me down on the expressway because I know what the devil could do.
“Then, I ran into something else. But by the grace of God, we are here.”
Although Sunday PUNCH could not ascertain who requested the alleged bribe from the revered servant of God, investigations by the paper revealed that the cleric’s chopper was suspended from flying by the regulatory authority over safety issues.
Multiple aviation sources confirmed that Adeboye could not fly his chopper with registration number 5N-EAA to the Ibadan programme but had to fly another aircraft reportedly belonging to Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel).
A top official of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, who is close to the operations of the two choppers belonging to the servants of God, said, “The team relating directly with Daddy G.O. should have told the man of God on time that his chopper had not been cleared by the NCAA and, as such, it couldn’t go on the Ibadan trip. They shouldn’t have waited till the last minute. The NCAA (aviation regulatory agency) that we have now is different from what it used to be. There is a new man in charge who always insists that things must be done properly as far as the safety of lives is concerned. The church’s protocol team should have told him that the NCAA has not cleared the aircraft and it may not clear it within a short time because certain procedure must be followed. As such, an alternative arrangement should have been made.”
The NAMA official, who chose to speak on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, further said, “On that last Saturday morning, when it later became obvious that the jet was not cleared to fly, they had to make an alternative arrangement with Bishop Oyedepo’s chopper. They had to quickly begin that process by filing the flight plan, etc. It was Bishop’s aircraft that Pastor Adeboye later flew to the event. He could not use his own.”
A top official of Omni-Blu Aviation, the airline operating the chopper for Adeboye, confirmed the development.
The official, who chose to speak on condition of anonymity, said a letter from Italy-based Leonardo, the manufacturer of Adeboye’s AW 139 helicopter, requesting the NCAA to grant a time extension on some spare parts that are due for replacement came late.
The spare parts due for replacement have been ordered from the manufacturer but they have yet to be shipped into Nigeria because they are usually produced on demand, according to Omni-Blu Aviation.
As such, the NCAA could not immediately grant the requested extension. Instead, the regulatory agency requested that comprehensive safety checks be conducted on the aircraft in line with standard aviation safety practice.
He said, “The NCAA that we have now is different from what it used to be. It always insists on standard. We don’t want any disappointing situation for anybody, especially for a globally reputed servant of God like Daddy G.O. It appears the man of God was not properly briefed. But we thank God an alternative arrangement was made to rescue the situation. Safety is first and paramount. No life is worth toying with, how much more that of a servant of God like Daddy G.O. As an airline, we won’t compromise safety no matter the pressure.”
The Omni-Blu official denied knowledge of any bribe request, either by the airline or aviation officials.
He, however, said it was not impossible that some people might have cashed in on the situation to demand a bribe.
“You know some people don’t fear God no matter what. They can even go to the extent of asking a servant of God for a bribe. So, it is not impossible. But on our part, I am not aware of such.”
As it stands, it is uncertain when Adeboye’s chopper will be allowed to fly.
However, findings revealed that NCAA had directed maintenance and safety checks to be conducted on the aircraft.
As such, the operator has secured a date for this at Aero’s maintenance hangar.
When contacted for comments, the Director-General, NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, confirmed that the regulatory agency had suspended flights on the aircraft for safety reasons.
According to him, the NCAA does not often deal directly with individuals or owners of aircraft but the operator.
In this case, he said the NCAA only had business with the operator of the aircraft, Omni-Blu Aviation.
Nuhu said, “There are safety-related issues that must be resolved before the aircraft will be approved for resumption of flights. Safety is the paramount consideration in all approvals given by the NCAA. No matter what, we must not sacrifice safety for flights; that is the whole idea.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for RCCG, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi, said the matter was being resolved already.
On the bribery allegation, he said the church would not want to take issue with the aviation authorities on the matter.
Olubiyi said, “We will not want to take issue with the aviation authorities but I can assure you that an amicable solution is being found to the issue.”
-Sunday PUNCH
Aviation
Maiduguri airport will begin int’l operations Jan 2025 — Keyamo
Maiduguri airport will begin int’l operations Jan 2025 — Keyamo
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that the Muhammadu Buhari Airport in Maiduguri, Borno State, will officially commence international operations on January 1, 2025.
Keyamo confirmed that preparations for the airport’s upgrade have been finalised, and relevant government agencies have been informed of the impending launch.
He stated this during a visit to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.
The minister expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving the airport’s upgrade, noting that the North-East subregion is currently the only geopolitical zone in Nigeria without a fully operational international airport.
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“The establishment of an international airport in Maiduguri is strategic for accommodating international flights from the Middle East. It has the capacity, population, and infrastructure necessary to support an international airport,” Keyamo said.
Governor Zulum said the upgraded airport has the potential to drive economic growth and enhance connectivity throughout the subregion.
“As the chairman of the Northeast Governors’ Forum, I assure you of the political will needed to ensure the successful implementation of this significant initiative,” he affirmed.
Zulum was accompanied by several notable figures, including senators Mohammed Ali Ndume, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, and Kaka Shehu Lawan, as well as Borno APC Chairman Hon. Bello Ayuba and Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly Engr Abdullahi Musa Askira, along with other senior government officials.
Maiduguri airport will begin int’l operations Jan 2025 — Keyamo
Aviation
Air traffic controllers threaten to ground Nigeria’s airports Wednesday
Air traffic controllers threaten to ground Nigeria’s airports Wednesday
Flights across airports in the country may be grounded on Wednesday, September 18, as air traffic controllers are set to protest the 50 per cent deduction made by the Federal Government from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of aviation agencies.
The National President of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Abayomi Agoro, said in a statement, yesterday, that the safety-critical activities of Nigeria’s aviation sector are ‘slowly grinding to a halt, reaching levels that are unacceptable.’
Agoro said that the agencies within the sector are financially constrained, rendering the sector dysfunctional, hence the urgent need for the Federal Government to exempt aviation agencies from the 50 per cent deduction.
He claimed that the policy is severely undermining the safety and efficiency of Nigeria’s aviation sector and should be stopped.
“We want to place it on record that the safety-critical activities of the entire aviation sector are slowly grinding to a halt, reaching levels that are unacceptable. The agencies within the sector are financially constrained, rendering the sector dysfunctional. This alarming situation, if left unaddressed, poses significant risks to the safety and operational effectiveness of Nigerian airspace.
“It should also be on record that NATCA will not assume responsibility should a strain on the sector’s safety and operational needs result in any critical incident or accident. The continued financial constraints imposed by these deductions are compromising our ability to deliver safe, efficient air traffic control services.
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“Considering these developments, NATCA’s council, by this press release, places all air traffic controllers on notice that our mother union has directed a nationwide protest effective from ‘00:00 hours on the 18th of September 2024’, all controllers are to comply with the instructions from our mother union until further notice.
“Further instructions will be communicated in due course through the secretariat. We call on the Federal Government to act swiftly to exempt aviation agencies from the IGR deduction policy and address the financial challenges threatening the safety and functionality of Nigeria’s airspace,” Agoro said.
Daily Sun had on Thursday reported that unions in the aviation industry would on Wednesday, September 18, stage a nationwide protest over the same issue.
The unions comprising the National Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Association of Nigeria Aviation Practitioners (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and the Air Transports Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSSAN), stateed that the protest is to demand the discontinuation of the 50 per cent deduction.
The unions led by their leaders, Ocheme Aba (NUATE), Abdul Rasaq Saidu (ANAP), Francis Akinjole (ATSSSAN), Olayinka Abioye NAAPE) and Sikiru Waheed (AUPCTRE), directed their members in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) at the all airports nationwide to join the protest.
The unions said that information available to them indicates that some critical safety activities of agencies like FAAN, NCAA, NAMA, and NiMet are grinding to a halt over lack of funding.
They also stated that all efforts on their part to convince the Federal Government to stop the deductions, as agencies are cost recovery and not profit-making organisations, have failed.
They stressed that the agencies cannot survive on half of their incomes under the model of administration or any other guise whatsoever.
Air traffic controllers threaten to ground Nigeria’s airports Wednesday
Aviation
Keyamo gets Tinubu’s approval for airport concession
Keyamo gets Tinubu’s approval for airport concession
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo at the weekend disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has given the go-ahead for the concession of four international airports terminals namely : Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano; and Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
Speaking during the inspection of facilities at the E-Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Keyamo said the big plan for the airports, especially the international terminals, remains the option of concessioning them to the best operators/managers with global pedigree.
He said : “We are looking for the best partners in the world to come and collaborate with us in turning the airport around and running them professionally. And all will be to the ultimate benefit of Nigerians.
“We are going public very soon and it is going to be the best. I spoke to Mr. President about it. Mr. President said, Minister, go for the best. Nobody is interested in whoever is coming to do it. The process that was done before, maybe you asked that there was a process before we came into the office. We halted that process because there were complaints. I am sure you know that. There were litigations. People went to court. It was not transparent enough. But under this government, under Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, it is going to be as transparent as possible.
“The president gave us marching orders, and said go and do it as transparently as possible. Look for the best bid, the best hands to come and turn around our efforts and run our airports. And that is where we are going ultimately,” he said.
He said the improvements at the E-Wing is aimed at providing excellent customer satisfaction and creating more awareness about government zero tolerance for harassment, touting and extortion.
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“There is a great improvement here. The management and staff, they worked very hard at making this place look very welcoming and a big lift from where it was before. This is not where we are going. This is not our big plan for the airport.
“But this is a low-hanging fruit we can hang on to for now. We want to make the place as conducive as possible for passengers who are coming into Nigeria. And that is why you can see that the management, they have actually initiated very simple ideas and executed very simple ideas to make the place very cozy. More lighting, new toilets, new signs. For instance, I want to show Nigerians this in particular. Now, we have been very concerned, Nigerians have been very concerned about the issue of harassment at the airport, touting at the airport, and extortion by even uniformed personnel.
“Now, our first step in addressing this issue is what you have seen here. So for Nigerians, please look at this. When you come into the E-Wing of the international airport in Lagos, you are going to see a sign discouraging, touting, extortion and general harassment of passengers coming into Nigeria.
“Now, there is a QR code. You must make use of it. Don’t come and go to the media and complain that there is nobody to speak to when you are harassed by law enforcement agencies. Use the QR code, use the hotlines and make a call there and then. Don’t say, oh, there was nobody, they dragged you to one corner and they took money from you. Make that call.
“Pick your phone and make that call and you will be attended to. We also encourage people to be courteous, to be respectful also to the law enforcement agencies at the borders. But at the same time, we have also taken measures to ensure that we put a leash around our law enforcement agencies. So here you will see it and you will see not only this, you will see it as strategic positions around the airport. It is not the final solution to it but this is the first big step towards addressing the issue of touting,” he added.
Also speaking, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku said the Authority is ready for business, adding: ‘but the investments we need to improve the facilities and the infrastructure in the aviation sector cannot only come in from the federal government.’
She added that the Minister for this reason, has over the past few weeks, engaged with the private sector as well as other government institutions globally ‘to make sure that we can better collaborate. Especially around new terminal development, when it comes to increasing our routes so there is some work around route development too’.
Keyamo gets Tinubu’s approval for airport concession
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