The Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu has assured that the recommendation of the audit committee of all aviation fuel activities in Nigeria would be implemented.
Nuhu in his speech at the inauguration of the joint NCAA audit committee of all aviation fuel activities in Nigeria stated that the aviation regulatory body’s foremost function is to ensure the safety of aviation activities in Nigeria and achieve the highest level of safety in this sector.
Recently, there have been a series of incidents relating to fuel contamination, in particular, that of Max Air fuel contamination in Yola that has generated a lot of attention in the country and all over the world.
This has created negative publicity in the industry and a level of fear amongst the public which is justified.
The NCAA DG reaffirmed the safety of the country’s aviation sector, declaring, “Our skies are safe,” noting that the agency had been thorough in granting approvals in addition to its oversight responsibilities which include surveillance and audit of all operators involved in the aviation industry to ensure the highest level of safety in the skies.
He further stated that the authority had not been sleeping and had taken steps in the aftermath of the incidents which included the investigation of all the incidents that had been reported including collaboration with sister agencies in the aviation industry like the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) that issue licenses, and Department of State Security (DSS).
This collaboration with NMPDRA, he reiterated has yielded positive results so far as the collaboration has led to the identification of all non-licensed fuelers and those with expired licenses in Nigeria which has led to the suspension of all their activities in the airport in Nigeria.
“An All Operators Letter (AOL) has been issued mandating all operators to comply with all requirements for fueling as approved. The Authority has also heightened its surveillance to ensure complete and full compliance.
“Considering the gravity of the situation and the seriousness that the Authority is pursuing this matter, the authority has set up a joint committee and mandated the committee to conduct a holistic review and audit all fuelers, fueling facilities, and equipment from the initial source of the fuel to the point of fueling into the aircraft.”
He listed the membership committee drawn from the NCAA, NSIB, FAAN, DSS, NMPDRA, and the Association of Fuel Marketers in Nigeria.
The committee, he said has been mandated to identify all the root causes, proffer solutions, and recommendations that would improve the level of safety in the aviation industry in Nigeria.
The Terms of Reference (TOR) have been clearly spelt out that would see the committee members tour all over the country to ensure compliance with all regulatory and safety requirements.
He lauded the Presidency, the National Assembly, and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development for the unwavering support and the keen interest shown, adding that the Presidency and the Minister directed that this investigation must be brought to a logical conclusion in the interest of the Nigerian populace.
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