The Senate on Wednesday mandated its Committee on Aviation to summon the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
The Senate also resolved to summon the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Captain Chris Najomo, Airline operators as well as other relevant stakeholders over incessant flight delays and cancellations.
The Committee on Aviation is mandated to investigate the increasing frequency of flight delays and cancellations by airline operators in the country.
The resolution followed a motion presented by Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo, APC) during plenary, highlighting the negative impact of these disruptions on Nigeria’s socio-economic growth and public confidence in the aviation sector.
The investigation will aim to uncover the root causes of the persistent disruptions and propose lasting solutions to improve the reliability and efficiency of air travel in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Senate leadership has directed its Committee on Finance to suspend further action on the proposed tax bill pending the outcome of a high-level meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The Deputy senate president, Senator Barau Jibrin, made the announcement during plenary and disclosed that a special committee has been constituted to address contentious issues in the bill, with the meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 5.
The decision follows a series of deliberations by lawmakers aimed at resolving disagreements over key provisions in the proposed legislation. The contentious areas have sparked debates among stakeholders in the last couple of days.
In addition, the Senate leadership announced plans to convene a special meeting to be held at the National Assembly and chaired by the Minority Leader to address all areas of disagreement. The meeting is expected to serve as a platform for lawmakers to harmonize their positions and ensure that the bill aligns with national priorities while addressing stakeholder concerns.
Members of the special committee include:
Abba Moro chairman
Tahir Monguno
Aliero Adamu
Kalu Orji
Dickson Seriake
Zam Titus
Yahaya Abdullahi
Adeola Solomon
Sani Musa
Abiru Mukhail, as well as the entire leadership of the Senate.