Nigerian Senate orders audit of presidential and military aircraft — Premium Times Nigeria

The Nigerian Senate has instructed the relevant committees on the Air Force and aviation to conduct a comprehensive audit of aircraft in the presidential and military fleets. Lawmakers are to assess the technical condition and airworthiness of the aircraft.

As Premium Times Nigeria reports, the upper house of parliament also urged Nigeria’s federal government to ensure priority funding for regular aircraft maintenance and the replacement of ageing military aviation equipment.

Decision after the crash

The decision was made after discussion of a motion by Senator Osita Ngwu concerning the deaths of officers and crew members in the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft on October 5 in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State. There were 25 people on board; no survivors were reported.

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Ngwu said repeated crashes involving military aircraft may be linked to insufficient maintenance, an ageing fleet, as well as shortcomings in operational safety protocols and airworthiness standards. He called for a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the causes of the crash.

Budget review and investigation

Senators also proposed determining how much funding is allocated for Air Force aircraft maintenance and whether this funding is sufficient. Senator Adams Oshiomhole called for the Air Force to be required to submit maintenance budget proposals to the relevant parliamentary committees.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio called on the Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau to conduct a thorough, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the immediate and underlying causes of the crash and publish its results. He also instructed Senate committees to visit the crash site. After the crash, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning for those killed.