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Daud Olatunji
The National Assembly has called for a full audit of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft and an investigation into funds allocated for their maintenance following the crash of a military aircraft in Ondo State.
The Senate and House of Representatives made the request Tuesday, expressing concern about recurring military aircraft crashes and the need to strengthen aviation safety, maintenance procedures and accountability within the military.
Lawmakers said a thorough review of the airworthiness of NAF fleet aircraft is needed to establish their operational readiness and prevent future accidents.
The Senate resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West, during plenary.
Lawmakers have expressed concern that repeated military aviation crashes have claimed the lives of officers, raising questions about the condition of aging aircraft, maintenance standards, operational safety measures and the adequacy of funding for aircraft maintenance.
They warned that failure to conduct a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the latest incident could prevent the country from identifying the causes of such incidents and implementing measures to prevent their recurrence.
As part of its resolutions, the Senate observed a minute’s silence in honor of the victims and expressed its condolences to President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Air Force, the Ondo State Government and the bereaved families.
The Upper House urged the NAF and the Nigeria Security Investigations Bureau to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the immediate and underlying causes of the incident.
He also called for the investigation’s findings to be made public to promote accountability and strengthen confidence in military aviation safety systems.
The Senate also directed its committees on aeronautics and aviation to visit the crash site, engage relevant NAF authorities, and conduct a comprehensive assessment of the functionality and airworthiness of aircraft of the presidential and military fleets.
Lawmakers also urged the federal government to prioritize funding for regular aircraft maintenance and replacement of aging military planes.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North, supported the call for a comprehensive audit of the Air Force fleet, underlining the need to establish the operational readiness of military aircraft.
He said: “It is time for our relevant committees to conduct a comprehensive audit to determine the functionality and readiness of aircraft in the Nigerian Air Force fleet, to determine their airworthiness, so as to prevent future occurrence of this ugly scenario.”
Likewise, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, called for greater transparency in the management of funds allocated for aircraft maintenance.
Oshiomhole moved a further resolution directing the NAF leadership to present its budgetary provisions for aircraft maintenance to the Senate through the relevant committee.
“I pray that the Senate direct the leadership of the Nigerian Air Force to make available to the Senate, through the relevant Senate committee, the budgetary provisions for aircraft maintenance,” he said.
Senator Titus Zam, representing Benue North-West, supported the proposal, saying the investigation should establish the amount allocated for maintenance of the aircraft and determine whether the funding was sufficient to meet the operational and safety requirements of the Air Force.
The lawmakers’ intervention highlights growing concerns about the need for effective oversight of military aviation operations, particularly as the planes remain critical to security operations across the country.
The House of Representatives also called for better aircraft maintenance and stricter enforcement of airworthiness standards following a motion put forward by Alhassan Rurum.
After adopting the motion, the House urged the Nigerian Air Force to strengthen its aircraft maintenance systems, with particular attention to obsolete aircraft.
The lawmakers also insisted that only aircraft that meet prescribed safety and airworthiness requirements should be employed for military operations.
A member of the House, Donald Ojogo, praised the pilot involved in the crash, noting that the pilot’s actions helped limit the potential destruction that could have occurred if the plane had crashed in a densely populated area.
“We must compliment the pilot. It is a very sad accident,” Ojogo said.
Also speaking, the chairman of the House Committee on the Military, Babajimi Benson, described the incident as a painful reminder of the risks that military personnel face in carrying out their duties to protect the country.
He urged Nigerians not to take the sacrifices and courage of military personnel for granted.
“We must never take their service and courage for granted,” Benson said.
The National Assembly’s demands place funding for aircraft maintenance, fleet safety and military aviation oversight at the center of the response to the Ondo accident.
In addition to expressing condolences to the families of the victims, lawmakers are seeking answers about the circumstances of the accident and measures that can prevent similar tragedies.
It is expected that the outcome of the proposed investigation and aircraft audit will provide further information on the condition of the military’s air fleet, the adequacy of maintenance funding and the effectiveness of existing safety procedures.
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