Group Advocates Scrapping Of Aviation Ministry

Apparently not satisfied with the performance in the last administration, the Aviation Roundtable Safety Initiative (ART),on Thursday, urged the federal government to scrap the office of Minister in Aviation, arging that the sector would perform better as a unit under the Ministry of Transportation.

The president of  ART, Elder Gabriel Olowo, stated this at the second quarter Business Breakfast Meeting organized by Aviation Roundtable, a group of industry think-tanks.

He said whether senior or junior cabinet member, the aviation industry does not require a Minister.

While speaking on the  theme of the session  “Safety Challenges in Air Navigation and Air Traffic Service Delivery in Nigeria”, the President pointed out that the aviation industry has suffered from lack of plans in the past, saying there is the challenge of planning into the future.

Olowo in his opening remarks maintained that the aviation industry doesn’t require appointing any Minister, noting , without a Minister, the heads of the agencies would be empowered to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.

He noted that, having a separate aviation ministry or minister is a burden on the agencies.

He added that :“Aviation Ministry is a clog in the wheel of progress,” he declared, adding, “We want aviation like it is done in other countries as a department under the Ministry of Transportation.

The agencies in aviation are the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) which is the overall regulatory authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), among others.