By Chesa Chesa
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday ordered a comprehensive audit of Dana Air over recent mishaps involving the airline in Nigeria.
Last month, one of its planes overshot the runaway at the Port Harcourt Airport, while a few days earlier, the emergency door of another of its aircraft fell off upon landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, explained that the travails of Dana Air and the implication on the air travellers was discussed by the cabinet after hearing a report on the mishaps as presented by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
He recalled that prompt rescue operations were executed by airport safety personnel on both occasions, and as such no life was lost, although the professional licenses of the engineers and pilot involved were suspended.
According to Shehu, “a lot of quality time was spent discussing air safety as the government is very much concerned about safety and the lives of Nigerians.
“There were no fatalities but the government did feel concerned and the minister did the report to the Council on steps that were taken following the last incident in Port Harcourt when Dana aircraft overshot the runaway.
“As soon as that happened, a few seconds later, a rescue team was there on the ground and moments thereafter every passenger on board was evacuated. There was no harm to persons and this is something that should be celebrated.
“Within 24 hours an official investigation had commenced because investigators arrived in Port Harcourt and began work. One week after that, a preliminary report was prepared and it was about this that the Council was briefed.
“Consequently, as announced by the aviation authorities, the engineer and pilot of that particular aircraft got their licences suspended and beyond that the government has ordered a complete audit of Dana airlines in terms of personnel, operations, technical capacity” he said.
Meanwhile, FEC has approved the augmentation of the contract sum for the rehabilitation of burnt Marina Bridge and the maintenance of Eko (Apobgbon) and Iddo bridges in Lagos, in favour of Messrs Buildwell Plant and Equipment Industries Limited, in the sum of N114.42 million, being 12 per cent of original contract sum.
This revised the contract sum from N957.05 million to N1.071 billion, with additional completion period of six months.
FEC also approved augmentation of the contract sum for completion of Mangu Dam in Plateau State by N7.66 billion, from the original cost of N5.66 billion to N13.2 billion now.
The FEC approved another contract worth N173m for provision of infrastructure in Bakusa in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani; and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, all presented to FEC a review of the activities of their various ministries since 2015.
FG probes Dana Air over mishaps
