By Marian Okpe–‘Abuja
The Senate Committee on Aviation has applauded H. E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Captain Chris Ona Onajomo as Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation,.NCAA This was confirmed on Wednesday 5′ February at the National Assembly Complex where members of the Senate Committee on Aviation sat to screen the man of the moment, Captain Chris Ona Onajomo. Few of the senators present at the event were. Sen. Agadaga Friday, from Bayelsa, Sen. Okechukwo Eze representing Enugu East, Sen.Wasiu Sanni, representing Lagos Central, Sen. Samaila Dogowa Kaula, Representing Bauchi North, and very importantly, Sen. Ireti Kingibe, representing FCT. The event was chaired by Sen. Fatai Buhari, representing Oyo North respectively. The senators described the appointment of Captain Onajomo as putting the right peg in the right hole. They stressed that the appointment was based on merit, more so, considering the pedigree and the expertise of Captain Onajomo who has over four decades been reforming the aviation sector. The senators further applauded President Tinubu for not just appointing a politician who has no knowledge of the Airspace management, but rather choose someone with requisite competency and credibility to man the sensitive sector, affirming that it is a clear indication that the current administration has proper direction. The Senate opined that the screening of Captain Onajomo was an act of due diligence else, he would have been asked to take a bow and leave. However, Sen.Osita Izunaso, representing Imo West, highly commended Captain Onajomo for his show of competency over the years as he attends promptly to crucial issues capable of jeopardizing passengers comfort, ,peace and stability in the NCAA which he said he has witnessed. . Sen. Izunaso asked what more would Captain Onajomo do to further guarantee the safety of the Nigerian Airspace, other senators wanted to know the measures Captain Chris has put in place to tackle flight delays, and cancellation, cause of plane crashes etc. Sen. Okechukwu Eze representing Enugu East, questioned about the situation whereby the airline operators charged higher for short distance travels, while charging less for long distance travel, and while sighting Enugu and Kano as examples, he said the distance from Abuja to Enugu is shorter than that of Abuja to Kano, yet the cost of flight from Abuja to Enugu is higher than that of Abuja to Kano. Sen Ireti Kingibe representing FCT, queried the injustice perpetrated against passengers, said, “whenever passengers miss their flight, they are penalized, but whenever flights are cancelled, and passengers are left stranded, the airline operators don’t get punished. She advised Captain Onajomo to see to it that such offenders get punished. All the issues raised were convincingly addressed by Captain Chris Onajomo,. The Senators therefore, unanimously endorsed Chris Onajomo’s appointment as the substantive DG, NCAA. Captain Chris Ona Onajomo owns several Airline Transport Licences, has been flying across the world for over four decades, was CEO of an Airline for about five years, appointed by the immediate past President Mohammadu Buhari, as Director of Aircraft Regulations in NCAA, was later redeployed in 2022′ to become a Director in Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, re-appointed as the Acting Director General NCAA by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now confirmed NCAA Boss.