FG Insists on Merging Aviation Agencies
Despite the disquiet that followed the proposal to merge the
aviation agencies, there are indications that the federal government remains on
track to consolidate the operations of some aviation agencies in order to
streamline their activities as recommended by the Steve Oronsaye report. The
decision to go ahead with the merger is coming against the backdrop of the
opposition by stakeholders in the industry. In May this year, government issued
a notice that it would merge the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),
Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigeria Meteorological Agency
(NIMET) to become the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA), so as to reduce
the high cost of managing the agencies. But in reaction to this plan, industry
stakeholders, including workers’ unions, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON)
and other professionals in the industry criticised the move, saying it would
lead to conflicts when the regulatory body, NCAA, is merged with service
providers, NAMA and NIMET, which it is supposed to regulate. THISDAY also
learnt that the President of Council of the International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO), Dr. Bernard Aliu, who is a Nigerian, had reached out to
government on this, advising otherwise. But a letter from the Office of the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), with reference number:
SGF/12/S.II/C.9/42, dated July 14, 2014 to the Permanent Secretary, Federal
Ministry of Aviation and made available to the media, the SGF’s office ordered
the affected agencies to send a progress report on the proposed merger to the
government on or before Monday, July 21, 2014.
Thisday Newspaper
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