Aviation experts mount pressure on presidency to take over NSIB’s supervision

…Say vested interests behind its retention in aviation ministry

By Dickson Omobola

Calls for the removal of Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development are growing, with many demanding that the bureau be directly supervised by the presidency to enable efficiency.

These requests followed the opposition of a proposed legislative amendment seeking to transfer the NSIB from its oversight to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

Last week, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Ibrahim Kana, at a one-day public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Aviation and Special Duties at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, argued for its retention and warned that transferring NSIB’s oversight could lead to “politicisation, diminished accountability and disrupted policy coherence.”

NSIB, formerly Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, is responsible for investigating road, rail and marine accidents.

Currently, the agency, which Director General is Capt Alex Badeh Jr, reports to the president through the aviation minister.

But aviation analysts, who spoke to Vanguard, faulted Kana’s argument, insisting that because NSIB’s activities cut across many ministries, it would be better controlled by the presidency.

Leading the demand for the bureau’s excision was a think-tank in the air transport sector, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, ASRTI.

Speaking to Vanguard, President of ASRTI, Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju, retd, said aviation itself required a lot, noting that adding to NSIB’s burden might impede its effectiveness.

Onitiju said: “NSIB is better supervised under the presidency because its activities transcend many ministries. Because of such inter-ministerial involvement, NSIB will be easier coordinated from the presidency. We (ASRTI) emphasise its independence because its tasks should not be biased in any form.”

Asked what factors could be responsible for calls for NSIB’s retention under aviation, he said: “It is the Nigerian capriciousness. Aviation itself is a lot, adding that burden to it may impede its effectiveness. According to him, NSIB’s independence from the ministry will strengthen its ability to deliver without having to look over its neck.

“Most of the time, safety investigations are not meant to criminalise errors or apportion blame. It is about facts and the ability to look into the cause of an accident or incident to avoid the same in the future to save lives and properties.”

Also, Chief Executive Officer at Centurion and Safety Consults, Group Captain John Ojikutu, retd, said: “Having NSIB under aviation is wrong. By the new Act of 2022, NSIB is not responsible for aviation alone. It is responsible for all modes of transportation, including railway and maritime. Why is it being kept under aviation?

“Right from the time that Act came out, NSIB should not be under aviation. Why should aviation be separated from the ministry of transport? It is wrong.

‘’Which country has ministry of aviation? Every country has a ministry of transportation. All that is needed is the regulatory authority for each mode of transportation. All those agencies that interact with numerous ministries ought to be on their own, and directly responsible to the presidency.

“There are problems, and we make them sound as though they can not be solved. However, we do not want to solve them because there are people benefitting from it.”

An aviation analyst, who did not want to be named, also said: “If NSIB shows up when a maritime accident occurs, who would listen to them? Can they command, direct or order anyone in maritime? No, and that is because they are not in that sector. What does the DG of NSIB know about maritime or rail?

“It is better for each sector to have their specialised agencies and a central body. However, that will only work when there is a minister of transport who supervises all modes of transportation.

“The motives of our people are not pure. Therefore, they try to duplicate ministries to get more money to spend. For them, it is not about value addition, but making more money, which is what we are currently seeing with NSIB.”

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