Aviation authority chief Dr Demuren finally sacked for negligence over Dana air crash

 NIGERIAN Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) director general Harold Demuren has been relieved of his position after months of calls for his dismissal for failing to provide adequate air safety in the country.

Following the Dana Air crash last year, a panel of enquiry fingered Dr Demuren out for negligence, saying that his agency failed to provide adequate safeguards. Yesterday, President Goodluck Jonathan finally approved of his dismissal and the search will now begin for a replacement.
A presidential spokesman said: "His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has approved the removal of Dr Harold Olusegun Demuren from office as the director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority with effect from March 12, 2013. This is consequent upon a careful consideration of Dr Demuren’s unsatisfactory response to the numerous concerns of stakeholders in the aviation sector.
"Mr President wishes him well in his future endeavours.” For now, the government has remained silent on his successor and it unclear when his replacement will assume office.
Both the Senate and House of Representatives had called for the sacking of Dr Demuren following last year’s crash that claimed 163 lives. On Wednesday, December 19, 2012, the House of Representatives blamed the accident on negligence by the regulatory authorities and recommended the dismissal and prosecution of Dr Demuren.
After the Joint Committee on Aviation of both chambers of the National Assembly had investigated the crash, their report also recommended that Dr Demuren should be sacked. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the chair of the House Committee on Aviation, had said several faults were reported on the ill-fated aircraft before the crash but alleged that the NCAA continued to clear it for flight operations.
She added:  “The aircraft had five air returns before the crash and only one was due to bird strike. The others were caused by faults in the aircraft.
“The NCAA should have grounded the aircraft but the agency did not care about the lives of Nigerians. Each time a fault was detected, the NCAA continued to clear the aircraft for flying.”
Also, the report noted that there was no certified engineer for the MD83 aircraft in Nigeria, yet the NCAA approved it for flight operations in the country. For this alleged regulatory failure, the committee also recommended the dismissal and prosecution of the NCAA inspector, Suleiman Akwuh, who inspected and cleared the plane for flying.
In January this year, the Senate also recommended the sacking of Dr Demuren for negligence over the Dana Air crash. It also approved a recommendation for the revocation of Dana's air operating certificate.