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Monday 11 June 2012

FG’s failure to implement Past Reports led to Crash – Experts

The reason behind plane crashes in Nigeria and its unavoidable death came to the fore on Friday as some experts gave reasons why the search and rescue team, comprising aviation and other government agencies, in their effort could not save one out of the 163 persons involved in the Dana plane crash that left Nigerians mourning till date. Experts had disclosed that the recommendation for sufficient equipment needed during emergency situation was never implemented, and the rescue team were stranded at the scene of the incident, managing the few available equipment that was not enough to save lives. It was revealed that in 2006, the federal government had set up a presidential task force to look into the aviation industry and to find a lasting solution to its numerous problems after 400 lives got perished in 3 different crashes. At the end of the day, far reaching recommendations were made far on how aeronautical search and rescue operation can be effectively carried out should be carried out
so as to save lives during emergency like in the last plane crash of the Dana Airline. Experts have however noted after six years that nothing has been done to improve on the situation as there was no visible improvement noted during the last rescue operation in Lagos. They also observed that not one out of the equipment recommended was available at the rescue scene. A former Director of Operation of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, Captain Dele Ore, told news men that the recommendations made by the Paul Dike report were never implemented. He state that according to the report, NAMA should have been made the coordinating agency for aeronautical SAR, because effort to rescue lives cannot be effective without putting such into recommendation. He said, “Why didn’t we save any one alive from the Dana crash? Why is it that nothing was achieved? It was the same thing in 2006 during the Sosoliso plane crash. Those children were crying ‘help! help!’ But no one could help. Six years after, we are still in the same spot. We don’t have a formidable aeronautical SAR. It is a shame and disgrace that we are losing our quality lives.” Ore further said, “Why is that we don’t have a fire-fighting helicopter that can go to the Dana crash site and rescue people? It is unfortunate for us as a nation.” Also speaking on this topic, the President, National Association of Nigerian Cabin Crew, Mr. Olumide Olumayo, said more lives would be lost in other plane crashes if we continue to ignore reports of past plane crashes He said, “The NCAA is liable, I will not exonerate it until the preliminary investigations are concluded. The agency is not eligible to be part of those to investigate the crash because it is part of those to be probed. Where are reports on the previous crashes? They would have helped the government and other stakeholders to know which policies to make and which to amend. They keep on piling up the reports and nobody is indicted.” Speaking on the matter also, an aeronautic engineer and consultant, Sheri Kyari blamed the history of the aircraft for the crash, saying that he was not surprised that the plane crashed due to the plane’s past records. He said, “There is a need for more vigilance in the sector. Nigeria may lose its aviation glory due to the incident but it will bounce back, if the government restructures the sector. “We have told the government repeatedly to repair the refineries to produce adequate aviation fuel. There is a need for maintenance workshops, training and retraining of experts. There must be strict enforcement of regulations in the sector.”

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