|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Federal Government has reassured its commitment to take aviation security to step up aviation security and not be a global weak link.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika gave the assurance at the ongoing Regional ministerial conference on aviation security with the theme:Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP);The Roadmap to Foster Aviation Security in Africa and the Middle East,’ in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
In a press statement signed by the Deputy Director press and public Affairs, James Odaudu, the minister said “May I on behalf of Nigeria President, President Muhammadu Buhari assure you the commitment of Nigeria in this regard of aviation safety, that we will take seriously any task, role or assignment assigned to the nation of Nigeria or that Nigeria assigned itself in this regard and to further state that we will not be the weak link in aviation security. This has also been demonstrated by the fact that the President and Commander-In-Chief of the country Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the improvement of our aviation security, AVSEC as it is called. They are now arms bearing and have been committed to series of trainings.
“We want to thank the United Nation Counter-Terrorism Department that conducted training twice in Nigeria recently and they will continue to provide that training. We are partnering with them to support us in the K-9 program that will improve security in Nigeria aviation.”
Sirika while stating steps taken to place the country’s aviation sector on the international maps said,“Furthermore, to ensure that there is institutional weight behind what we are doing, the Civil Aviation Act in Nigeria has just been reviewed and approved by the council of ministers under the leadership of the President and it is with the parliament for approval and passage.
“We have established training facilities in Abuja and Lagos by the help of United Nations Counter-Terrorism Department and we have also established a training department within the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority training center and with Nigerian College of Aviation Technology to further strengthen aviation security.
“I wish to restate our cooperation with all the nations in this matter and also that, this is our own understanding of the philosophy of ‘No Country Left Behind’ of ICAO.
“I will like to thank all of you and those who were able to attend the ICAO RPAS Symposium in Nigeria which has been adjudged to be a huge success. We are assuring you that we are following up on the resolutions that were achieved during that symposium.”
The participants in the three-day conference are the Ministers of Transport/Aviation, and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCS) of the International Civil Aviation, Organization (ICAO) Member States, Air Force Instruction (AFI) and AFI-MID Regional Organizations, Regional Civil Aviation bodies and international organizations including ICAO and United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UN‐CTED).
The conference compromises of two parts: a Senior Officials Meeting in which a draft regional roadmap will be developed while taking in account aviation security challenges and the targets of GASeP and the Ministerial Conference that will reaffirm the need to enhance implementation of international aviation security standard.
Stella Enenche Abuja
