Senate to audit presidential, military aircraft, urges FG to replace ageing fleets

The Senate has resolved to mandate its committees on Air Force and Aviation to conduct a comprehensive audit of aircraft in the presidential and military fleets to determine their condition and airworthiness.

The upper chamber also urged the federal government to prioritise funding for regular aircraft maintenance and the replacement of ageing military aircraft.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Osita Ngwu, the senator representing Enugu West, on Tuesday to mourn the officers and crew members who died in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on 5 October.

Mr Ngwu, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), expressed concern that recurring military air crashes, which have claimed the lives of several personnel, might be linked to inadequate aircraft maintenance, ageing fleets and lapses in operational safety protocols and airworthiness standards.

He called for a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, arguing that future incidents could not be prevented without establishing their causes.

Twenty-five persons were on board the NAF aircraft when it crashed over a week ago. No survivors have been reported.

President Bola Tinubu subsequently declared three days of national mourning in honour of the deceased personnel and directed that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country.

The Senate had earlier postponed indefinitely its national security summit, scheduled for 12 and 13 October, in honour of the crash victims.

The NAF had also promised a comprehensive investigation into the incident and assured the families of the victims that they would receive the benefits due to them.

Debate

Most senators who contributed to the debate supported the motion.

Tahir Monguno, the Borno North senator, who seconded the motion, called on the relevant committees to conduct a comprehensive audit of aircraft in the NAF fleet.

Mr Monguno, who is also the Senate Chief Whip, said the exercise should establish the aircraft’s serviceability, operational readiness and airworthiness to help prevent a recurrence.

Similarly, Adams Oshiomhole, the senator for Edo North, urged the Senate to direct the NAF to submit its aircraft maintenance budget proposals to the relevant committees.

Mr Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, also called on the Senate to establish the amount allocated to aircraft maintenance.

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Titus Zam (APC, Benue North-West) supported the proposal, noting that examining the Air Force’s maintenance budget would help determine the amount allocated for the purpose and whether the funding was adequate.

After the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion and its prayers to a voice vote, and the majority of senators voted in favour.

Mr Akpabio subsequently called on the air force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to conduct a thorough, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the immediate and underlying causes of the crash and make their findings public.

He also directed the Senate committees on Air Force and Aviation to visit the crash site to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The senate president thereafter asked his colleagues to observe a minute’s silence in honour of the deceased personnel and crew members.