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How Dis Country Get Big Head: Fellow Countrymen More Aviation Palaver, (Head Without Sense, Fire Without Water) By Prince Charles Dickson Jos, Plateau Nigeria
A lot has been written
about year 2005 as regards the unfortunate air disasters that the nation
witnessed. Every two year licensed driver like me have become air
experts. Aviation experts have spoken both the ones that ruined the dead
former Nigerian Airways and those that were pursued because they spoke
the truth, airline operators have tried to justify both their inactions
and actions. Personally this would be my fifth essay on this aviation
wahala, notwithstanding, as I tried to have rest during this festive
period I could barely sleep as I was haunted by pictures of families
that had lost loved ones at the Bellview and Sosoliso crashes, what kind
of yuletide season were they having.
I could imagine the
mood… a very black Christmas and New Year celebrations with the pictures
of lost ones very fresh on their minds, all because of an insensitive
leadership which they had entrusted their lives to.
In less than a month,
the aviation sector has witnessed a fury of activities, sacks and
suspension with PAY, airlines have been banned and ‘unbanned’, certain
plane models banned, task force set up here and there. While the ban
lasted for Bellview Airlines they were more pained and concerned about
the 155.5million Naira they lost in refunds and hotel. What shame!
Even in times like
these, the Nigerian Immigration Services NIS have just refurbished two
aircrafts that have been grounded for about six years and they claim it
has been certified and ready to fly….in the words of the NIS chief
“Dornier-228 has outstanding performance characteristics, providing
infinite travel flexibility, it can land virtually anywhere…” I hope
that does not mean it can crash anywhere, can some one tell me how much
It cost taxpayers to refurbish a plane that has been idle for six years
and I will certainly take you to where you would buy two new planes for
same price.
Well that obviously is
no news…this is some of the ways we got our big head. Already a smart
consortium hiding under the cloth of the Kenneth Kaunda Key to Africa
Project is planning big to rip Nigerians through some futile African
Aviation Summit to be held in June 2006 and at the Transcorp (NICON)
Hilton Hotel. Millions have already been approved and a presidential boy
is the brain on how the money would walk to the right bank accounts.
We are organizing an
African Aviation Summit and the Mallam Aminu Kano Airport control tower
is being manned by just one man instead of a minimum of three, I sure
that is an industry record and the entire control tower area that should
have minimum of 6o has none, the airport’s authorities say they just
concluded interview for 40 and the whole 40 of them went on training…
training for where by whom, so, air force personnel are recruited on ad
hoc basis. Even Mallam Aminu would be turning in his grave.
We are setting up
committees, panels, investigation teams and the usual charade we have
now come to be known for, when the truth still remains that Obasanjo,
Borishade, Agagu, Chikwe, Isa and successive governments crippled the
sector. The aviation Minister gave reason, that, after all he came in
barely yesterday before all these crashes, besides if he was to resign;
it would only be when he is sure his exit would put an end to the spate
of air disasters. In my palce we pay much premium to respect I did say
can someone please slap this man who does not know how to talk. Why
would a man continue to sight tight i n the face of grave system
failure, is it because he helped Obasanjo’s rigging committee with
computer falsification of figures that Nigerians must be made to suffer?
The aviation sector is
littered with people whose only experience is sitting in the first class
compartment of a foreign plane on their way to stash their loot away
with their family.
With each Minister in
the last six years now seven, came new sets of aviation thieves, new
banks selection to facilitate goodwill hunting. I recall Agagu Segun as
Minister of Aviation even went as far a s getting Arthur Anderson at
millions of Naira, yet nothing was done. The Imo goddess and Vanity Fair
woman, concubine to Mr. P himself was worse, she set up over 11
different committees, went on several tours on the pages of newspapers
and on the Television. Rather than deal with the issue to her credit she
supervised the beautification of the General Aviation Terminal in Lagos.
I am sure her motto was “die beautifully”, more bizarre was when the
Kano runway contract was awarded at a price that could build a new
airport. I wonder why EFCC is afraid of this woman who ahs now veered
into petroleum I hope she won’t sell killer kerosene, just as she
approved the alarming 1.8billion Naira at which the Lagos runaway was
finally done.
This is how this
country’s big empty head came about, the terminal radar in Lagos was
certified by the original manufacturers as totally bad and obsolete,
CONDEMNED in English language, but somehow a fellow pressed the right
buttons and abracadabra he was given a hundred Million Naira to
refurbish the same radar.
Isa Yuguda from my
backyard and my own broda here, did not do our pride any better as he
simply continued he a warded all manner of contracts almost awarding one
for the killing of mosquitoes, I happened to be on one of such tours and
commissioning in Jos Hiepang Airport. The funfair with which he was
received was worth commissioning. The media hype that followed was like
we would soon fly on air without aircrafts. But sadly under his
stewardship cows at the Port Harcourt airport line up to book their
flight to France, he made some highly mischievous and bemusing
commercial arrangements for the regional and international routes to the
detriment of the nation at large, all because of his gubernatorial
ambition. How could I forget the fencing contracts too…?
Let me pause…
Tell me it is not big
head that would make the President call a summit, for a call it whatever
after the Sosoliso crash, why did he not call the same for a after the
Bellview tragedy some 44 days earlier. My President had a panic attack,
and quickly he started as usually barking at no one. You sack Perm Sec,
sack Director, my Presido sack big head…but you cannot, meaning you dey
fear Borishade...dismiss am, if you fit. When all that was needed was
for concrete steps to be taken…instead it’s been the usual drama, since
the last jaw-jaw, are the new radars in place, how has infrastructural
development and eq uipments been beefed up? The answer is big head still
dey rotate, outdated equipments are stil where they were left.
Rather a whooping
128million Naira is spent on clearing Bush and grassing of just one
airport, the Murtala Muhammed Airport, for Christ’s, are talking of a
garden here or an airport. This contracts had Ministerial approval and
Due process passage with ease, they all happened in less that a week.
EFCC OO OOOO, where una dey? As the insanity of big head continued a
consulting firm known for services rendered to imaginary big heads was
given 34million Naira for the phase 1 rehabilitation of the same MM
Airport. That is not overlooking the guy was awarded the pie of
according to the award letter “Sundry mechanical and electrical
services” for 46million Naira ONLY.
I can only hum to Baba
70’s philosophy…the thing wey e dey worry me na how country take get big
head…” the most terrible one of the heads being ‘pen robbery’, official
corruption and lives are sacrificed on a daily basis…Na the burn burn na
him dey sweet dem pass, Oya put matches…burn burn. Nigerians in their
millions are tired, soon they would suddenly wake up a nd realize there
are no walls to be pushed to any more and then the burn burn will not be
funny…Almighty Allah help us when that day comes
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