After a mild drama between Air Peace CEO, Allen Onyema, and some lawmakers at a public hearing, the Senate has cleared the airline of any wrongdoing in the July 13 runway overrun incident at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
Onyema, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Aviation, faulted the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) for what he described as a misleading and damaging handling of the incident, saying the agency’s preliminary report had tarnished the airline’s international reputation.
The Senate declared that allegations of drug and alcohol use by Air Peace pilots were based on “inconsistent and uncoordinated” findings by the NSIB.
The clearance followed a high-profile investigative hearing by the committee, which examined concerns that the NSIB’s initial report — alleging that several Air Peace crew members tested positive for alcohol and cannabis before later narrowing the claim to two personnel — could harm Nigeria’s global aviation image.
Speaking after Thursday’s session, Committee Chairman, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, warned that discrepancies in the NSIB report could undermine confidence in Nigeria’s air safety rating if not urgently addressed.
Buhari also disclosed that the National Assembly may soon introduce legislation mandating federal agencies and public officials to patronise Nigerian airlines, as part of efforts to strengthen the local aviation industry.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
