The Bellview airline crash of October 2005 in Lisa, Ogun State and the ADC crash at Abuja in 2007 are two accidents among series of other aircraft accidents that occurred in Nigeria between 2005 and 2007 whose reports have not been released to the public. The Accident Investigation Bureau had claimed in a recent press release that it had concluded the investigation on the Belleview crash specifically and had submitted the reports to the Ministry of Aviation since last year. Feelers from the ministry not long ago equally revealed that the report had been sent to the Presidency.While one has no reason to doubt the ministrys claim or query the reason for sending the investigation report to the Presidency, the delay in releasing the report to the public after six years is worrisome, considering the fact that the reports of other aircraft accidents that occurred after the Belleview crash had been released in 2007 and 2008. Moreover, while the report could serve as a source of information to the Presidency, it has no statutory responsibility in the process of any aircraft accident investigation or its report. Whatever recommendations are contained in the investigation report are not to be subject to the ministrys review or the Presidencys action, but for the aviation regulatory authority only on the directive of the ministry to examine if regulations have been breached, adjust regulation if inadequate and enforce its compliance.Attempts to continue using the Presidency to induce further delay in releasing the investigation report is to create doubts in the credibility of the report or give the public and the industry watchers the impression that there are vested interests that are trying to manipulate critical evidence in the investigation report. Recall also that the last Senate Committee on Aviation tried to resolve the entitlement of family of the victims of the ADC and Sosoliso between the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the airlines. The committee gave the two parties initially six weeks to resolve their differences. It took over a whole year for the committee to wait and give the parties another four weeks in 2009. It is doubtful if the entitlements of these victims have been settled or if we can seriously apply the appropriate provision in the NCAA Economic Regulation on these airline operations.The general public is anxiously waiting for these reports; relations and friends of the victims want to know what actually transpired in the last moments of their loved ones. Others want to know if they can get further claims from the airline or government in case of negligence. The industry stakeholders too want to know if there are lessons to be learnt in future to avoid causal mistakes. Let us do the right thing by publishing the Belleview Airline Crash investigation report and other air accident reports that are pending, now!Grp Capt. John O. Ojikutu (retd.), 299 Ikorodu Road, Olatunji House, Maryland, Lagos. Email: jojikutu@yahoo.com
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