Funso Muraina
18 November 2008
opinion
Lagos — In the last ten years many of Nigerians have lost their lives through plane crash. Notable among the crashed aircrafts include the Military Hercules in which many young military personnel perished in the marshy forest of Ejigbo, the ADC crash at Ejirin near Epe, Lagos State and the recent one in which the former Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Maccido died.
Today the academic world has refused to get over the death of Professor Claude Eke and many other prominent persons that died in the forest of Otta in Ogun State. The nation's aviation had suffered a lot of destruction that left the nation grieving for too long and as the citizens tried to forget one experience, then another calamity followed.
Parents of the children that died in Sosoliso aircraft crash in Port Harcourt cannot forget the total loss witnessed that year. No segment of the society has been spared each time the crash occurs and it follows that government must do something to reverse the trend.
It is not surprising when government in June 2006, awarded a N6.5 billion contract to an Austrian company, AVSATEL Communication based in Austria with a view to upgrade, at least four international airports in Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Lagos with facilities that are of world class standard.
Recently the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) conducted some journalists on facility tour. The team was at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Port-Harcourt International Airport and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano.
Management of the company handling the contract said that works on the Kano Airport would have started if instruction had been given to commence work. Managing Director of NAMA said the nation's airspace is now safer since the rehabilitation of the safe tower and air accident has reduced in the last two years.
The Officer in Charge of Air Traffic of (ATO), NAMA, Ajiga Bello said the Safe Tower upgrading is a project with a vision, laid out to cope with today's task and the ever rising increase of air travel and traffic density. However, the court case instituted against the company, its managing director, the former Minister of Aviation, Babalola Borishade, his aide, T.O. Dairo and the former Managing Director of NAMA, Roland Iyayi has totally halted the completion of the contract.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dragged all of them before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, over allegation of fraud in the award of the contract. Borishade was accused of receiving Euro 15,000 in form of hotel accommodation, souvenirs from Avsatel as gratification, while Iyayi received his in form of hotel accommodation and air tickets and one, Oreagba Adelaja, a public officer also allegedly received Euro 1000 (one thousand euro) as gratification from the firm.
Justice Umar admitted them to bail in the sum of N10 million each and two sureties, who must be resident in the Federal Capital Territory, in like sum. The accused persons were also directed to deposit their international passport with the court's registrar, while they were also ordered not to travel outside the jurisdiction of the court without its consent. The trial judge equally asked the accused persons to report at the EFCC's office nearest to them every fortnight.
While Borishade was charged as the first accused person for allegedly receiving gratification worth Euro 15,000.00 from Eider (the forth accused person) in the form of hotel accommodation, souvenirs on account of favour shown to Avsatel Communications Limited, Iyayi, Dairo and Eider were also charged with forgery.
They were accused of forging a document titled, "Urgent Need to Replace the Obsolete Equipment in the Control Towers of the Nation's Designated International Airports in preparation for the ICAO Audit scheduled for September, 2006." The document was dated October 25, 2005.
Count one of the charge read "that you Professor Borishade being a former aviation minister, Roland Iyayi being a former technical adviser to Borishade, T.A. Dairo being a former personal assistant to the said Borishade and Georg Eider on or about October 25, 2006 in Abuja did agree among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit forgery and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation." Count two charged them with making a false document purporting same to have been made by one Nnamdi Udoh whom they knew did not make it with the intent to commit fraud.
They were also charged with making another false document captioned, "Report on the Evaluation of the Tender Safe Tower Project" dated 9th December 9, 2005, with the intent that fraud might be committed and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 364 of the Penal Code ACT Cap 532 Laws of the Federation 1990.
Other offences brought against the suspects include using forged documents, receiving and giving gratifications among others.
Count eight, which accused Iyayi of a similar offence read: "That you Roland Iyayi on or about May 30, 2006 in Abuja, while being a public officer (Managing Director of NAMA did corruptly receive for yourself from Georg Eider of Avsatel Communications Limited gratification in the form of hotel accommodation and air tickets on account of favour shown to the said Avsatel Communications Limited by yourself in the exercise of your official functions in the N6.5 billion Safe Tower Project awarded to it by your ministry and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000."
Before the upgrading of these facilities, Nigeria experienced at least three air disasters within short intervals. On October 23, 2005, Bellview aircraft crashed just outside Lagos. About 117 lives were lost in the crash. On December 10, 2005, Sosoliso crashed on a final approach to Port Harcourt Airport. About 102 lives were lost in that crash including students of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja who were returning home for Christmas holiday. On October 29, 2006 ADC crashed immediately after take-off in Abuja, killing 96 people, including the Sultan of Sokoto.
Before the replacement of obsolete equipment at the airports, aviation experts said malfunctioning communication facilities, inaccurate weather information and the windshear phenomenon were found to be the main causes of these accidents.
According to them, the obsolete equipment in the Control Towers was not able to provide reliable communication, information and services. The country was in complete despair, unanimously crying for urgent help and remedy, and former president, Olusegun Obasanjo requested for immediate action by the aviation authorities. In November 2005, a tender was launched for the replacement of obsolete equipment in the Control Towers of Nigeria's main International airports.
In May 2006, after undergoing full due process, a due process certificate was granted and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the award of contract to Messrs Avsatel with their manufacturing partners Messrs Frequentis, Austria and Messrs Vaisala, Finland. Both are world market leaders in the field of safety-critical communications and weather information system.
On February 7, 2007, only five months later after the establishment of the Letter of Credit, Abuja Tower was completed July 20, 2007, Lagos Tower was completed and on May 22, 2008, Port-Harcourt Tower Kano is still awaiting instructions to commence. In each one of the airports, the system is laid out as a fully integrated, synchronised, modular system.
During the tour, NAMA said, "Voice Communication System VHF Ground to air radios, State of the art consoles, electronic flight strips, digital voice recording, Tap Tools, ATIS recording and transmission, navigational aids status, lighting control system; meteorological information system comprising ceilometers, wind site sensors, runway visibility range systems, a metmast, ceilometers, communications links between all sites and the tower; a massive uninterrupted power supply (UPS)-system allows for seven hours autonomy for the entire system.
"An emergency communication system; rotating aeronautical beacons, emergency light guns, a rest-room for Air Traffic Controllers and engineers including sanitary facilities as well as the rehabilitation of the Tower Infrastructure including amongst many others special anti-static heavy duty double floors, new air-conditioning, new suspended ceilings and complete new cabling. The system allows for extension, whenever required.
"In Abuja, a complete low level Windshear Alert System was also added, making it the first one on the entire African Continent. Experts, ICAO and IATA, now describe the Nigerian Towers as the most advanced and modern ones in Africa. They have reflected great interest and raised Nigeria's profile. The Safe Tower project is a project with a vision, laid out to cope not only with todays tasks, but as well prepared for the ever rising increase of air travel and air traffic density.
The aim of the Safe Tower Project is to allow the Air Traffic Controller to concentrate on his so highly demanding task to control the air traffic, by giving him all necessary information automatically onto his finger-tips. He no longer needs to divert his concentration by searching for patchy or incomplete weather- or other information, which may cause risks for the air traffic as his attention is affected.
"The equipment supplied and installed is state of the art from the World's leading manufacturers, installed and proven in hundreds of airports worldwide. The quality of any Air Traffic installation is measured by the rate of reliability to work uninterrupted and without failure.
"If one system should fail, the stand-by system takes over immediately and automatically. But even the best equipment is useless without reliable maintenance on the spot in Nigeria and training of personnel," they said.
Avsatel said it is proud of its proven 24/7 maintenance support. Their experienced and well trained engineers are available 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Their engineers physically reach any of the sites within an hour from demand. Avsatel has already trained 30 Nigerian engineers in Europe and more than 200 NAMA and NIMET staff on the new systems in Nigeria. Refresher courses are held at specific locations whenever needed.
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