…wants MD to resign as AON Chairman
Worried by the ugly development at Azman Air, which was recently suspended from operations over safety concerns, the Chairman of Fly Hudson Aviation and former Deputy General Secretary of the Airlines Operators of Nigeria, (AON) Alhaji Mohammed Tukur has joined other industry skeholders in condemning the statement issued by the AZMAN Airlines’ management after the suspension of its operations by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA).
The airline’s Boeing 737 series were grounded on Monday by the authorities for safety audit following several incidents and mass sack of its pilots for refusing to fly sometimes on safety grounds. The management in reaction to the suspension of its operations by the NCAA issued a statement claiming that the action of the authority was a vendetta from the Director-General, Captain Musa Nuhu over unresolved transaction way back in his days as the Nigeria’s permanent Representative at the International Civil Aviation Organization, (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada.
Alhaji Mohammed who described the press statement by the airline as reckless and unprofessional said by such action, the Managing Director, Alhaji Faisal Abdulmunaf Sarina was no longer fit to serve as the Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria, (AON).
He said Alhaji Faisal should honourably resign his position as the chairman of the domestic airlines’ body because he has exhibited lack of integrity and honour to lead the body.
Tukur said that for AZMAN to have resorted to pure blackmail in response to the action of the NCAA indicated its lack of understanding of the aviation safety procedures in aviation industry. He was quoted to have said, “It is not easy to witch hunt in this industry because the records and books on NCAA inspections are open and cannot be manipulated.”
While urging the NCAA boss, Captain Nuhu not to be deterred by the unfortunate blackmail, Mohammed suggested a withdrawal of the airline’s Air Worthiness Certificate (AOC) if at the end of the audit AZMAN is found culpable so that it will serve as a deterrent for such action by any other airline operating in the country in future.
