Dana air mishap:Abuja lawyer raises fresh fears over Enugu airport

Even as Nigerians  are still mourning the tragic death of at least 153 in Dana air crash in Lagos, Abuja based lawyer Osuagwu Ugochukwu has raised fresh fears about the state of Nigerian airports, particularly Enugu airport.

While sympathising with the families of the victims,Ugochukwu in press statement today  urged aviation authorities to pay attention  to an alarm he raised earlier about the poor state of Enugu airport.

“Sometime in October 2011 we raised an alarm over how the NIMET is managing the Nigerian Airports, particularly Enugu. And this culminated in a petition we wrote to ICPC. But nothing came out.

“In our findings it was discovered that Enugu Airport was not safe for flights likewise others. But nobody took us serious .It is now time for the Ministry of Aviation and the Senate Committee on Aviation to once again look into the activities of NIMET between 2008 till date.

The petitioners said, “ we remember in the course of our meeting with the DG of NIMET, we drew the agency’s attention to the fact that what they advertised in the Federal Tenders Journal for the procurement and installation of Low Level Wind Shear Alert Systems is different from what was approved by the National Assembly in the 2011 Appropriation Act.

He added , “We also raised alarm over the state of the Enugu Airport’s control tower, wind vane and other facilities which were at best moribund. Yet nobody believed us. Do we now say we have been vindicated? A stitch in time saves nine!

Read his statement below:

DANA AIR MISHAP: IT SEEMS WE HAVE BEEN VINDICATED OVER OUR ALARM ON STATE OF THE AIRPORTS AND NIMET

We sympathise with the families of over 150 persons who have lost their lives in the Sunday DANA air crash in Lagos. It was really a black Sunday. At this stage we need to now learn from our mistakes to avoid more happening.

Sometime in October 2011 we raised an alarm over how the NIMET is managing the Nigerian Airports, particularly Enugu. And this culminated in a petition we wrote to ICPC. But nothing came out.

In our findings it was discovered that Enugu Airport was not safe for flights likewise others. But nobody took us serious.It is now time for the Ministry of Aviation and the Senate Committee on Aviation to once again look into the activities of NIMET between 2008 till date.

The petitioners said, we remember In the course of our meeting with the DG of NIMET, we drew the agency’s attention to the fact that what they advertised in the Federal Tenders Journal for the procurement and installation of Low Level Wind Shear Alert Systems is different from what was approved by the National Assembly in the 2011 Appropriation Act.

We also raised alarm over the state of the Enugu Airport’s control tower, wind vane and other facilities which were at best moribund. Yet nobody believed us.

Do we now say we have been vindicated? A stitch in time saves nine!

June 6 2012

Osuagwu Ugochukwu

Victory and Rose Associates

Abuja