Despite autonomy, NCAA works with ministry,says Nuhu
By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reaffirmed the autonomy of the industry’s chief policeman but explains that the body cannot work in isolation of the ministry because it has the political backing needed to make the job easier.
This is just as Captain Nuhu, Director-General of NCAA, has said that Aviation Height Clearance (AHC) that at some point stirred the controversy in the telecommunications sector is a safety move aimed at forestalling any hazardous incidents and not a moneymaking venture.
The NCAA helmsman who was a guest of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (L AAC) in a Zoom meeting addressed issues concerning the regulatory body but maintained that the NCAA has never been more autonomous.
According to Captain Nuhu, no matter how independent the NCAA is, it must have a line of connection with the Ministry under which there are other bodies within aviation including service providers, the downstream sector so that a synergy to maintain sanity within the industry is established.
He said,” Yes NCAA has autonomy in the implementation of regulation but NCAA cannot remove itself from the ministry of aviation.
The ministry of aviation is responsible for policy development and they plot the policies for the industry while we implement those policies through regulations and so we must have a line of communication and consultation with the ministry.
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“If you look at the organizational structure of the NCAA, you have the minister, the board and you have the DG so we cannot isolate ourselves from the ministry but I can assure you, in terms of implementing regulations and otherwise, NCAA is the only body that can do that and we are doing that without any sort of interference from the ministry and you can agree with me that without the political support of the ministry, it would be difficult to implement some of these regulations.
We implement our regulations irrespective of who is involved and the political support of the ministry and minister has made our lives much easier in implementing our regulations.
