By Yemisi Izuora-Lagos
The National Association of Air Traffic Engineers NAAE has expressed concern that the spate of retirement within the body may leave a gap if nothing is done to replace the outgoing personnel.
The body has therefore sought intervention of the federal government to replace retiring engineers in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in order to ensure continuity.
Speaking to journalist in Lagos after arriving from NAAEs AGM /Election in Enugu, the national president of NAAE Engr. Makanjuola Ebenezer said the call became necessary as a result of number of engineers that will be disengaging from the system next year.
According to Ebenezer, the association was trying to avoid the negative safety implications of not replacing retired engineers in NAMA as soon as they were out of the system.
The NAAE president explained that with a reliable and safe airspace in the country there was need to fill the vaccum as soon as possible to ensure that there was no gap in the system.
While stressing the need for training and retaining of its NAAE members Engr. Ebenezer also called for rating allowances for them.
He also commended the management of NAMA for the provision of effective, efficient and reliable navigational aids, and further appealed to members to always consider safety and show commitment to duty at all times.
Engr. Ebenezer expressed satisfaction with communication, surveillance and navigational equipment in the NAMA adding that in the past 25 years no air crash has been traced to the fault of an air traffic engineer in the system.
Meanwhile, NAAE has reiterated total support for the management of NAMA, NCAA, NCAT and Ibom International airport.
In a communiqué signed by Engr. Makanjuola Ebenezer and George Ikeako president and assistant general secretary respectively, NAAE called for the appointment of qualified ATSEPs as airspace managers at the two out of the four major airports in the country.
The body also called for the consideration of the enrollment of all ATSEPs with the National Health Insurance scheme program of the federal government.
For the purpose of professional efficiency, the association also called on NAMA management to consider the important of a substantive general manager for the Electromechanical department as soon as possible.
The body announced the election of Engr. Makanjuola Ebenezer president, Engr. Miri SD deputy president, Omeje Francis general secretary, Engr. Kalu Joseph Kalu PRO