NLC Demands Overhaul of Nigeria’s Aviation Industry
Disturbed by the crash of the Lagos bound Dana Airline in Lagos on Sunday; the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday demanded an overhaul of Nigeria Air Travel Industry. The NLC on behalf of the Nigerian workers condole with the families, relations and friends of the victims of the disaster. A statement signed by Abdulwahed Omar noted that “the government should not wait for a repeat of this monumental disaster to reoccur before taking steps to protect the lives of all categories of air travelers within the Nigerian airspace as it is obvious that no one is excluded from the dangers the air industry obviously portend”. The NLC pray that God to give the families and friends of victim of the crash the fortitude to bear this grave national loss.
The NLC contended that the crash could have been averted if appropriate regulatory agencies were effective in their responsibilities. According to the NLC, “the airplane involved was alleged to have been faulty and this is said to have been to the knowledge of the management of the airline”. NLC “urge the Federal Government to urgently overhaul the aviation industry, review the licenses of all airlines operating in Nigeria, including foreign airlines, conduct proper checks on the airworthiness of all the aircrafts before renewing the licenses of all the airlines”. The NLC also demanded that Federal Government should also put in place a policy of pegging the age of aircrafts operating in Nigerian airspace. According to the central labour body, “the safety of all air travelers in Nigeria should be paramount to the regulatory agencies as well as the airlines that seem to have placed their priority only on profit and not safety” and therefore “specifically urge the government to do a thorough, transparent and far reaching investigation of this particular crash.
