MISSING PLANE A NATIONAL EMBARASSMENT – BAYELSA AC

The Action Congress, Bayelsa State chapter, has described the inability of relevant agencies to locate the missing plane with three crew members since March 15, as very shameful, embarrassing and annoying.

The Bayelsa Secretary of the AC, Mr. Ebikibina Miriki, in Yenagoa on Sunday, said that those responsible for the negligence should be shown the way out of the aviation industry, to serve as a deterrent to others.

He said this was not the time for buck passing, but for the plane to be discovered, for the apprehensive members of the families of those on board, to know the situation of things.

Miriki wondered if those in authority were ignorant of the grieved immediate family members and relations of the crew members.

To convince Nigerians and others that the airspace was safe, the AC secretary admonished the Federal Government to ensure, without further delay, the location of the missing aircraft.

Miriki, who is also the immediate past Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Bayelsa chapter, further urged the FG to provide the nation’s airports with the required equipment to put an end to the waste of innocent lives.

He added that the right things must be done at all times, rather than giving flimsy excuses.

The light aircraft, a turbo-propelled Beechcraft 1900D, with registration number 5N-JAH, belonging to Wings Aviation Limited, a local airliner, left the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, in March 15 for Bebi Airstrip, near Obudu Tourist Resort in Cross River State.

The 19-seater aircraft, registered with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority as a charter aircraft, was to move top officials of the Cross River state government, including the Governor, Mr. Liyel Imoke, to Abuja.

Following the inability to locate the aircraft and in view of conflicting reports on the fate of the plane, the Presidency, over the weekend summoned the chief executives of parastatals under the Ministry of Air Transportation.

President Umaru Yar’Adua also gave a marching order to his aides, that the missing plane must be found this week.