Fashola: Nigeria must punish those behind aviation woes

Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola

Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola


Kazeem Ugbodaga

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, western Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government to mete out appropriate punishment on all those behind the numerous woes being experienced in the aviation sector.

The nation’s aviation sector has in recent time come under serious problem and national embarrassment, with the Associated Airline that crashed early this month, and two other planes in near mishap in less than two weeks.

Fashola, who received the Air Officer Commanding, Logistic Command, Nigerian Air Force, Ikeja, Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan on a courtesy visit at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Monday said it was by meting out appropriate punishment on those who compromised standards in the Aviation industry that the problems in the sector could be curbed.

“It is no secret that a section of our national life which you are concerned with the military part of it, the aviation industry is under public scrutiny now, which is safety in the sky. I want to use this medium to appeal to you and your colleagues in the aviation sector, that what is needed to be done in order to improve upon safety in that area must be done.

“We must never think twice about it. It makes our job easy. This is because we have responsibility for safety of life and property in the state. But it isn’t only safety that is induced by terror and crime. We cannot secure life and property if certain safety standards aren’t kept,” he explained.

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“It adds to the index of the causalities that we may have to deal with. There must be uncompromising standards about ensuring safety whether on the side of the military or aviation. Everybody must work together to make the Nigerian Aviation industry safer so that when people board aircraft from the country, they must feel confident that nothing unusual will happen,” he added.

The governor explained that everyone knew that aircraft were mechanical devices that could fail, stressing that there is a protocol for keeping mechanical devices operational and functional.

“And all those in the aviation industry know what all these protocols are about. And if people drop the ball in those areas, there must be nothing fitting and proper than the extreme punishment in order to demonstrate the value that we put on the life of every Nigerian. That is the only way we can ensure that people who are entrusted with other people’s life will treat those lives with the same level of care, as they will treat their own,” he stated.

Morgan commended Fashola on his effort to improve the security situation in the state, stressing that the governor’s aggression and youthfulness had brought positively progress in the development of the state.

“It gives me a lot of hope that Nigeria is benefitting from the wealth of experience of the youth. Your common contribution to the security agencies in the state has helped to boost the morale of the security officers and I want to assure you today that we will always be available to render our service to the state whenever we are called upon,” he stated.

He stated that the Air Force would like to be part of developmental trend while appealing to the governor to extend his hand of friendship to structures that were begging for redevelopment within the base as the military budget could not cover all the expenses.

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