While considering a motion brought by Senator Hope Uzodinma and 29 others on Tuesday, the Senate also directed that the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Agency, Harold Demuren, and other top management officials should be suspended until investigations were concluded.
The Senate directed that Dana Air should be grounded during the period of the investigations, resolving that the investigations should cover all the airlines operating in the country.
Senate spokesman, Enyinnaya Abaribe, said, “It is not just the investigations, but the fact that the Senate has directed the Ministry of Aviation to provide all the reports of the investigations of air crashes in Nigeria.
“The Senate expects that the officials of the regulatory agencies to step aside for the period of investigation. Senate also directed that Dana Airline should be shut down during the cause of the investigations.”
While urging the executive to ensure that the officials of the regulatory agencies stepped aside while the investigation continues, President of the Senate, David Mark, said, the resolution would be a test case for the relationship between the executive and the legislature.
“This will be a test case to see whether the executive will carry out what we resolve here,” Mark said.
Asked what the Senate would do if the executive refuse to implement the resolutions of the Senate, Abaribe said it was up to the executive to implement the resolutions of the National Assembly.
Head of the probe committee and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, said the committee would invite the manufacturers of Dana plane which crashed on Sunday.
He said, “Our investigations will be holistic. We will find out the operating history of the aircraft and invite the manufacturers.”
According to him, those found to have been negligent in their duties would be punished, even though no one has been brought to judgment yet.
In the motion, Uzodinma said, “The Dana Air crash might be indicative of a greater rot in the aviation industry which could portend more danger ahead.”
He said the crash was a major national calamity deserving of the attention and necessary action of the Senate.
He added, “This latest crash is even more tragic than the previous ones with a total casualty figure of about 190 people, including 153 passengers, 6 crew members and 37 people on the ground.
“The crash is a clear indication of failure and/or negligence of relevant regulatory functions in the aviation industry which if unchecked could lead to more devastating air mishaps in the future.”
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said there had been warning about the unworthiness of the aircraft but the regulatory authorities took no action.
Senator Ahmed Makarfi alligned with his view when he said the crash was “avoidable” given the necessary warnings.
He said, “We have heard that the aircraft was obsolete and somebody must have certified it air worthy. Those found to have contributed to the crash would have to be brought to book.”
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