Sky Watch Nigeria.
In response to the claim by the Air Traffic Controllers of an unsafe Nigerian
airspace, Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA),
Engineer Mazi Nnamdi Udoh has re-assured Nigerians and all stake-holders in the
aviation sector of its continued actions to a safer airspace.
While delivering a speech at the agency headquarters in Lagos on Friday
December 14 2012, Engineer Udoh spoke on the claim by the Air Traffic
Controllers stating that such statement could not collaborate with the glaring reality
that airplanes have been flying for the last three months.
He however pointed out that the current challenge confronting the agency was its long range frequency of
communication which had just been introduced, affirming that aside from the new technology no control tower had significant challenges
currently.
On the alleged statement by the Air Traffic Controllers, Engineer Udoh
responded that: “If they are quoting Air Traffic Controller, it means that, the Air Traffic Controllers have not done any work in the last three months and should not to be paid.”
The Air Traffic Controllers, in a six-page petition signed by its General Secretary, Mr. Banji Olawode and titled “Continued worrisome state of communication facilities within the Nigerian airspace” challenged Udoh to urgently declare national emergency on Air Traffic Services communication facilities within Nigerian airspace to mitigate the communication situation degenerating into distress stage thereby threatening the lives of air travelers and general public at large.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, Mr. Supo Atobatele, agreed that the current radio frequency – 27.3 MHz for the Lagos Area Control Centre is at present congested following heavy traffic within the southern airspace, adding that decongestion would commence by December 17 2012.
The Air Traffic Controllers, in a six-page petition signed by its General Secretary, Mr. Banji Olawode and titled “Continued worrisome state of communication facilities within the Nigerian airspace” challenged Udoh to urgently declare national emergency on Air Traffic Services communication facilities within Nigerian airspace to mitigate the communication situation degenerating into distress stage thereby threatening the lives of air travelers and general public at large.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, Mr. Supo Atobatele, agreed that the current radio frequency – 27.3 MHz for the Lagos Area Control Centre is at present congested following heavy traffic within the southern airspace, adding that decongestion would commence by December 17 2012.
