Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has said that he has the power to direct the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to suspend Dana Airline because it has to do with the safety of Nigerians.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Thursday, Keyamo said being a minister, he is responsible to President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians, who are his employers.
Recall that the NCAA had suspended Dana Air’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC), grounding all its scheduled operations barely 24 hours after a runway incident involving one of the airline’s flights from Abuja to Lagos.
Following the development, the minister directed the NCAA to ground the airline’s operation, which was greeted with mixed reactions.
However, during the interview, Keyamo said that he was empowered to direct the NCAA to suspend the operations of any defaulting airline in the country.
The former minister added that he can direct the NCAA to do the right thing in matters of national security, which is wide enough to cover the health and safety of Nigerians.
He said, “Section 26 says that I can direct them. As a matter of policy, according to the section, I can direct the NCAA to do the right thing in matters of national security. National security is wide enough to cover the health and safety of Nigerians. Section 28 says they have powers of regulations. This is not regulation. It is a matter of doing your work.
“Let me tell you the intent of those sections. It says the NCAA should not be doing something towards safety. And political interference says that please grant this person a pass or waive this for this person. There would not be political interference that endangers the lives of Nigerians and removes the powers of the NCAA to make safety regulations.
“However, the reverse is the case here because the minister is telling you please put safety measures in place.”
