President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered full audit of the Dana Airlines following the recent near mishap the airline suffered at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State.
The full audit came few hours after the Senate summoned management of Dana Airlines to explain the circumstances surrounding the air mishaps in the country.
Recall that on February 8, 2018 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the door of one of the aircrafts fell off after it had successfully landed, but management of the airline attributed it to a passenger who attempted to open it.
Another incident occurred in Port Harcourt when the aircraft had successfully landed, then overshot the runway in Port Harcourt.
Briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu explained that President Buhari approved the investigation of the airline following a report presented by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) for deliberation at the Federal Executive Council meeting.
He said the investigation would involve the staff strength, technical capacity and general operations and that Government has already suspended the operational license of both pilots.
According to him, “A lot of quality time was spent discussing air safety, the government of Nigeria is very much concerned about safety and the life of Nigerians, this is following the recent air incidents minor as they were because they are no fatalities.
“The government did feel concern and the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Siriki presented a report to the Council on steps that were taken, following the last incident in Port Harcourt, Dana aircraft overshooting the runway.
“As soon as that happened, a few seconds, a rescue team was there on the ground and few moments thereafter made every passenger on board were evacuated, there was no harm to persons and this is something that should be celebrated.
Within 24 hours an official investigation had commenced because investigators arrived in Port Harcourt and began work.
“One week after that a preliminary report was prepared and it was about this that the Council was briefed. Consequently as announced by the aviation authorities, the engineer and Pilot of that particular aircraft got their licenses both suspended and beyond that the government has ordered a complete audit of Dana airlines in terms of personnel, operations and technical capacity.”
Shehu also said that FEC approved the augmentation of the contract sum for the rehabilitation of Burnt Marina Bridge and the Maintenance of Eko (Apobgbon) and Ido bridges in Lagos.
He said the contract was awarded in favour of Messrs. Buildwell Plant and Equipment Industries Limited, in the sum of N114,424,225.05 representing 12 percent of original contract sum, thereby revising the contract sum from N957,053,316.45 to N1,071,29,541.40 with additional completion period of six months.
Shehu also noted that Council approved the augmentation for Mangu Dam, in Plateau State with N7.66 billion from the original cost of N5.66 billion making the total contract sum to N13.2 billion.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.
