Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State says the state government is having cordial working relation with the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), to ensure the final installation of night landing facilities at the Benin airport.
Speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the 5th Annual General Meeting of the National Airtraffic Communicators Association of Nigeria (NACAN) over the weekend in Benin City, Gov. Obaseki urged members of the association to support the government and people of the state to make Benin airport more viable.
When the ongoing alliance between the Edo government and NAMA finally pushed through, it will signal the commencement of night flight operations in the airport with its attendant boost on the state’s economy.
“I want to thank Capt Akinkuotu for the work he is doing in Benin airport, he has worked very closely with us to ensure thst we have night landing facilities and ILS in Benin airport. That’s one of the reasons why I personally decided to attend this event to express the gratitude of Edo people to him and to NAMA for all the support “
According to the governor, the Benin airport remained one of the first five airports in the country with rapid passenger growth.
The governor stressed that the country with almost 200 million people create huge market for aviation, even with only one percent of the population traveling by air.
Obaseki charged NACAN members to avail themselves of the benefit of regular training to come up with the best practices to be abreast with happenings across the globe to proffer solutions to challenges in the aviation industry in the country.
He told NACAN members that much was expected from them by the government by working hard to achieve a culture of safety, regularity, efficiency and economic operations of the air navigation industry in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO.
“Why we are working to improve on our air transport system, so much is requires from the air traffic Communicators, if out country is to achieve a culture of safety regularity, efficiency and economical operations of the air navigation industry in line with the provision of ICAO”
Obaseki also commended President Buhari for completing and commissioning the Port Harcourt International Airport, which according to him, has been abandoned for years.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA, Capt Fola Akinkuotu said aviation professionals remained pillars for air safety stressing that without them, technology and regulations alone cannot produce results.
Akinkuotu who was represented by his Technical Adviser, Engineer Ayodele Otitolaye said NAMA was committed to training and retraining for its workforce with the limit of available resources.
“This is why we recognize “Adequate and Skilled man power” as a vital ingredient for our success in providing safe, effective, efficient and economic air navigation services which is our mandate”
According to the NAMA boss, provision of relevant technology was important for professionals to perform their roles, just as he noted that air navigation facilities were capital intensive but achievable with the assistance of the Federal Government.
Akinkuotu who promised that a lot of ongoing projects would soon be completed in the sector, thanked Gov. Obaseki for his determination to ensure that the aeronautical Communication to flight safety was not broken just as he appreciated his support for the safety of airspace.
“Permit me to congratulate the national executive of NACAN and the entire delegate here present on this occasion. I also salute your collective display of resilience and determination to ensure that the linkage of aeronautical communication to flight safety is not broken. The works you are doing in support of safety in our Airspace is recognized and appreciated”
