Aviation Woes: Fashola Wants “Extreme Punishment” For Culprits

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Lagos, News Monday, October 14th, 2013

The African Examiner,

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has recommended severe punishment for all those responsible for the woes in the aviation industry.

The governor spoke when the Air Officer Commanding, Logistic Command, Nigerian Air Force, Ikeja, Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan paid a visit on the governor at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria on Monday.

Fashola said it was no secret that “a section of our national life which you are concerned with the military part of it, the aviation industry is under public scrutiny now, which is safety in the sky. I want to use this medium to appeal to you and your colleagues in the aviation sector, that what is needed to be done in order to improve upon safety in that area should be done.

“We must never think twice about it. It makes our job easy. This is because we have responsibility for safety life and property in the state. But it isn’t only safety that is induced by terror and crime. We cannot secure life and property if certain safety standards aren’t kept.

“It adds to the index of the causalities that we may have to deal with. There must be uncompromising standards about ensuring safety whether on the side of the military or aviation,” he said.

The governor stated that everybody must work together to make the Nigerian Aviation industry safer so that when people board aircraft from the country, they must feel confident that nothing unusual would happen.

Fashola said the aircraft, as mechanical devices were bound to fail, but that there is a protocol for keeping mechanical devices operational and functional., saying that all those in the aviation industry knew what all these protocol were about.

“And if people drop the ball in those areas, there must be nothing fitting and proper than the extreme punishment in order to demonstrate the value that we put on the life of every Nigerians. That is the only way we can ensure that people who are entrust with other people’s life will treat those lives with the same level of care, as they will treat their own,” he stated.

Earlier, Morgan commended that governor for the giant strike he had made in the area of security, saying that the Air force would like to be part of the developmental process of Lagos.

“We will also appeal to the state governor to extend his hand of friendship to structures that are begging for redevelopment within the base. Military budget cannot cover all the expenses,” he said.