We serve you the full text of Capt. Ado Sanusi’s welcome address at the formal roll out of the first successfully conducted Boeing 737-500 c-check in Nigeria. Enjoy it and be informed.
The Hon. Minister,
The Managing Director/AMCON,
The Director General/NCAA,
The Receiver Manager,
Invited Guests,
All Protocols Observed.
I have the singular honour of welcoming you all to the Aero Hanger to join us in celebrating this very auspicious occasion of the Roll-Out of the First Successfully conducted Boeing 737-500 C-Check in Nigeria and indeed West & Central Africa. This occasion is the culmination of several variables. Today’s occasion proves that with good policies, smart management, effective oversight and professional dedication by staff, hard work gets rewarded and companies dedicated to public services can be revived from the brink of collapse. We all know the story of Aero Contractors. Today I welcome you to share in its re-birth.
Permit me on behalf of the Aero Management, to extend our deep appreciation to the Hon. Minister of Aviation; Senator Hadi Sirika. Right from day one and when the prognosis weren’t looking favourable, the Hon. Minister insisted that Aero must continue operating as staff must continue having an employment with the company. This set the pace towards concerted efforts of ensuring that Aero sustained operations so as to serve the public and keep staff employed. For showing exemplary leadership Sir, we at Aero say Thank you.
The Managing Director of AMCON Mr. Ahmed Kuru deserves special accolades as well. AMCON plays and continues to play critical roles that have culminated with Aero being able to sustain its operations and slowly returning to viability. Without the support of AMCON, some tough decisions would have never beeng taken and we wouldn’t have gathered here today. For his personal and professional support, Aero expresses gratitude to AMCON.
The Receiver Manager of Aero Mr. Adeniyi Adegbonmire SAN has worked and continues to work at the same pace with the Aero Technical & Managerial Team. That synergy and smart understanding of operational issues have been the cornerstone of industrial harmony that has propelled Aero to this auspicious occasion. We shall need more commitment from the Receiver Manager in the coming weeks and months, at this point however, I join all Aero Staff in appreciating your support thus far.
The Director General of NCAA Capt Usman Mukhtar as an individual and NCAA as an Organisation deserves a special mention today. Aero deeply appreciates the decision by the NCAA to certify Aero suitable for conducting Boeing Aircraft C-Checks in Nigeria. Considering that Aero is the first to have such certification in West & Central Africa and against the backdrop of its recent managerial history, approving that the Aero Maintenance Organisation is certified to conduct C-Checks in Nigeria was a professional life-line thrown at Aero. That certification had a psychological, morale, technical, economic and managerial boost to the entire Aero family. I must also acknowledge the professional support and partnership provided by NCAA Directorate of Air Worthiness during the certification process. That technical support is the reason we are here today. Aero appreciates NCAA for everything and pledges to justify this confidence reposed on us.
At this juncture, on behalf of everybody here-present, I want to specially express appreciation to all Aero Staff as individuals and as a collective. The Technical Team in Aero have proven to be professionals of a rare breed with a sense of dedication that is second to none. With their support, a once challenging moment has being turned into a moment of joy and hope as we continue efforts aimed at returning Aero to viability. In appreciating you all, I urge that we remain focused and sustain the industrial and professional harmony that binds us all. Thank you.
S.A.A. Technique & AJW Group remain our technical partners whom we hold in the highest of esteem for their commitment in adding immense technical value to our Maintenance Department. Both companies went far beyond the Terms of the MoU we signed on this project and worked with our Team like a family. This gathering today is largely resulting from their commitment to aiding Aero build up its technical capacity. On behalf of Aero, I say a big Thank You to every member of the Team that worked with us and to their respective Management for honouring our Technical Agreement.
Lastly, on behalf of Aero, I appreciate our customers who have continued to patronize Aero and remain our source of inspiration to ensuring that Aero continues to operate and serve the flying public. Thank you all.
Conducting aircraft a C-Check in Nigeria is a huge milestone for the aviation sector which all stakeholders recognize. For us in Aero, there were several challenging moments. Thankfully, our Team of Engineers & Technicians persisted and surmounted the challenges to make today possible. Permit me to mention here that this certification of Aero to conduct C-Checks in Nigeria seamlessly dovetails into the Ease of Doing Business Policy of the present administration. Aero hereby invites airlines to conduct their C-Checks for B737 Classics with us bearing in mind the tangible deliverables to be derived from patronizing Aero. These include saving foreign exchange, getting a quicker aircraft turn-around time, enriching Nigerian technical expertise and knowledge base and strengthening the Nigerian aviation sector as the regional and sub-regional hub for aviation activities. Aero hereby extends its hand in partnership to all.
In the course of conducting this C-Check, Aero suffered avoidable delays with Customs Clearance of specially imported tools required for the maintenance. We respectfully call on the Hon. Minister to assist Aero intervene with Customs to ensure that it expedite the easy passage and clearance of tools we import specifically for aircraft maintenance. That would greatly help in avoiding loosing days waiting for Customs to clear our tools to enable us proceed with the maintenance.
Though Aero has applied to be granted Free Trade Zone status at the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), we are hoping that granting us the status shall be expedited in the first quarter of 2018 as it would ease our maintenance turn-around time which is key to building customer confidence in patronizing Aero for its C-Check maintenance. We appeal to the Hon. Minister to also intervene with the Hon. Minister of Trade & Investment.
Without any further delay, Once again, it is my sincere pleasure to invite the Hon. Minister to lead our distinguished guests and un-veil the first Boeing 737-500 aircraft to have successfully under gone a C-Check in Nigeria. Thank you for listening and we sincerely appreciate your presence.
Capt. Ado Sanusi, Lagos, Nigeria, January 12, 2018.
