Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, CON, FICArb UK has vowed to tackle all illegal chartered operations and related matters in Nigeria. The Minister made this known while receiving the report of the 7-Member Committee on Illegal Chartered Operations and Related Matters at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. This was contained in a statement signed by Odutayo Oluseyi, Head, Press, and Public Affairs Unit.
He stated that the issue of illegal charter operations by private jets and private aircrafts owners in the country has been besetting the aviation sector, especially those who obtain licenses under the permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) and use the aircrafts to do other illegal transactions. Keyamo maintained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led government is poised to mitigate these acts and pledged that his Ministry will not fail to safeguard the aviation industry in line with the mandate of the Ministry.
“This practice has been on for many years before I became Minister, but I thought there was a need to confront it headlong” “When you cannot track them, it leads to money laundering, drug trafficking, illegal entry and exits into the country and all kinds of illegal activities”.
While commending the Committee members and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for providing the committee with all necessary documents required in the course of their assignment, Keyamo promised to implement the recommendation of the committee assuring that it will not be swept under the carpet.
Chairman of the 7-member Ministerial Task Force on Illegal Charter operations, Captain Ado Sanusi, while presenting the final report of the committee, thanked the Honourable Minister for his visionary leadership and for entrusting the committee with such important assignment. He said that the committee conducted a thorough investigation into illegal private charter operations in Nigeria and identified critical challenges which includes; regulatory weaknesses, loopholes in the permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) system, inadequate oversight, security vulnerabilities and significant revenue losses to the government.
Capt. Sanusi stated that the findings did not only pose risks to aviation safety but also create an uneven playing field for legitimate operators. Capt Sanusi said as part of the recommendation in the report is that government should, strengthen regulatory oversight, enhance security measures, improve compliance with aviation laws, and ensure that private charter operations are conducted transparently and in line with international standards. He appealed to the Minister to ensure speedy implementation of the recommendations which will create an economically viable aviation industry in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, mni commended the aviation minister for his commitment to reviving the Nigeria Aviation sector. He assured the committee that the ministry will not hesitate to take adequate action on the committee’s recommendation.
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