Delayed flights/cancellation: Senate summons Keyamo, others

The Senate on Wednesday summoned the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo and the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, over poor flight operations in the country.

Airline operators and other relevant stakeholders in the aviation industry were also summoned over incessant delayed and cancelled flights in the country.

Adopting a motion to that effect sponsored by Senator AbdulFatai Buhari (APC Oyo North) during plenary, the Red Chamber particularly charged its Committee on Aviation to unravel the circumstances behind the incessant flight delays and cancellations with a view to finding lasting solutions to the problem.

Buhari, while presenting the motion, said the problem which he noted had been on the increase in recent times, are well publicized.

“This development is worrisome as air travel is one of the most reliable, dependable and quicker means of transportation, often undertaken for business/official purposes and to keep other scheduled appointments, which are usually time bound,” he said.

The senator cautioned that “unwarranted flight delays and cancellations will be counterproductive to the socio-economic the growth and development of this country”.

The lawmaker noted that as part of interventionist measures to check unethical and unwholesome practices of the practitioners in the aviation sector, the NCAA is statutory empowered through the enactment of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act, to among other things, provide oversight and guidelines aimed at ensuring that airlines operate within the contemplation of international standards in Nigeria and to ensure that customers get value for the services paid for.

Meanwhile, the Senate leadership has directed its Committee on Finance to suspend further action on the proposed tax bill pending the outcome of a high-level meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

The Deputy senate president, Senator Barau Jibrin, made the announcement during plenary and disclosed that a special committee has been constituted to address contentious issues in the bill, with the meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 5.

The decision follows a series of deliberations by lawmakers aimed at resolving disagreements over key provisions in the proposed legislation. The contentious areas have sparked debates among stakeholders in the last couple of days.

In addition, the Senate leadership announced plans to convene a special meeting to be held at the National Assembly and chaired by the Minority Leader to address all areas of disagreement. The meeting is expected to serve as a platform for lawmakers to harmonize their positions and ensure that the bill aligns with national priorities while addressing stakeholder concerns.

Members of the special committee include:

Abba Moro chairman

Tahir Monguno

Aliero Adamu

Kalu Orji

Dickson Seriake

Zam Titus

Yahaya Abdullahi

Adeola Solomon

Sani Musa

Abiru Mukhail, as well as the entire leadership of the Senate.