Air traffic controllers support FG to rid NAMA of graft

*Ten years after installation, TRACON has no back-up
*Seek probe of other agencies
The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) has lent it support to the Federal Government’s efforts to sanitise the aviation industry of alleged impunity and corrupt practices that it said have bedevilled the industry for some years now.

President and Secretary General of NATCA, Victor Eyaru and Banji Olawode in a statement today, said the recent revelation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) visit to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was “shocking and an attestation to the endemic nature of the unfortunate practice.”
They called on the anti-graft agency to extend such probe/investigation into some failed projects in NAMA, like the Total VHF Coverage of Nigeria as well as other aviation agencies;
The duo said, sadly, Nigerian air traffic controllers have continuously discharged their all-important and safety critical duties with epileptic equipment of which communication at the two Area Control Centers in Kano and Lagos is mostly affected.
Eyaru and Olawode who are both air traffic controllers lamented that the nation’s radar equipment (TRACON), after close to ten years of its installation, has no backup to cater for period of failure.
“The existing radar equipment has almost outlived its designed lifespan and requires replacement. No navigational equipment is at its best as well. Efforts of NATCA and its members to see to fixing of these problems over the years only earned the controllers various attacks and name calling. Unfortunately, a lot of fund may have been allocated to fixing the unresolved challenge”, they said.
Worthy of mention according to them is the deliberate depriving of air traffic controllers mandatory training since 2012 by continually arrogating such to lack of fund or approval, stressing that this has reduced the capacity of the available controllers to effectively provide various services such as the newly introduced 24-hour Area Radar Service and Performance Based Navigation (PBN).
Another area of fraud urgently deserving the attention of government the group said is in the duplication of departments/directorates and creation of irrelevant departments/offices across the agencies.
According to them “Appointment of non-qualified persons to man sensitive positions has also encouraged fraud and reduced productivity. Most of the Agencies have over-bloated staff strength skewed towards the less productive departments.
“An example is that of NAMA having seven directorates with eight directors as against the original three directorates. The same Agency, with air traffic control service as its core function, has only about 11 per cent of its employees being Air Traffic Controllers as against between 45 and 70% for other similar Air Navigation Service Providers globally. “
The association equally faulted the failure of NAMA to pay retired their severance benefits close to three years after retirement while financial recklessness recently uncovered (if proven) was ongoing within the same agency.
The NATCA however advised the Federal Government to immediately appoint a substantive Managing Director for the agency in accordance with the provision of NAMA Establishment Act
No.48 Part IV section 8 subsection 2(d) of 1999 (a person who possesses relevant and adequate professional qualifications in a senior management cadre and shall have been so qualified for a period of not less than fifteen years.), pending the conclusion of the on-going investigation due to the sensitivity and peculiarity of NAMA as an air navigation service provider.
This, they said would stem the ongoing leadership crisis due to “appointment of two persons as Acting Managing Directors within a week and in the interest of air safety.”
To them, NAMA is a very strategic agency that should not be headed by anyone without both technical knowledge and proven administrative expertise in air navigation service provision (ANSP) under whatever circumstance to avoid any costly decision that could compromise air safety and spell disaster for the whole country.
The group called for urgent approval for the replacement of the available radar equipment (TRACON) before its expiration period and provision of reliable Pilot- Controller and Controller-Controller communication facilities at all the Air Traffic Control Units to enhance air safety.
They also among other demands, called for the strengthening the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to enhance its regulatory duties towards guaranteeing seamless air safety.

Wole Shadare