The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has charged Airspace Managers across Nigerian Airports to ensure strict and unhindered compliance to the implementation of the Federal Government Executive Orders recently issued by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in their various stations.
Giving this charge in a keynote address at an enlarged management meeting with the nation’s Airspace Managers which held in Lagos, NAMA Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu said, “we must individually and collectively, in our operational and administrative procedures resolve to make the Executive Orders successful as it gives us the opportunity to correct our shortcomings, perfect the system and also set the template for what excellent service delivery should be”.
“As my representatives on the field, Airspace Managers must ensure that staff under their different jurisdictions is conversant with the spirit and letters of the Executive Orders to ensure seamless implementation nationwide.”
Akinkuotu who was optimistic that acceleration of approvals and permit processes as contained in the Executive Orders would significantly increase revenue, attract investment and boost economic activities in the country noted however that there will be no room for the wilful or deliberate negligence of established procedures as defaulters must be ready to face appropriate sanctions.
While expressing gratitude to them for their collective effort at ensuring safety of air travel within their various domains, the NAMA boss called for synergy of operations among departments in the agency and even agencies within the sector as according to him “it is only when there is unity of purpose, teamwork, harmony and co-operation at all levels that the agency can realize its cardinal vision.”
Akinkuotu also charged Airspace Managers to ensure that navigational aids in their different areas of supervision are serviceable at all times even as he revealed plans by the agency to replace old navigational aids with modern ones in some strategic areas across the country.
Decrying the huge debt owed the agency by some state aerodromes, the NAMA helmsman said the onus was on the Airspace Managers to engage more with such state officials on modalities of payment just as he charged them to explore ways of generating non-aeronautical revenue.
In their various submissions, the Airspace Managers solicited management support in the areas of operational vehicles, manpower training and deployment of more personnel to the stations.