The Senate on Tuesday called for a comprehensive audit of Nigerian Air Force aircraft and their maintenance funding following a crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, which killed 25 people.
The upper chamber also directed its relevant committees to scrutinise budgetary provisions for aircraft maintenance to determine whether inadequate funding or other lapses contributed to recurring military air crashes.
The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West, on the October 5 crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to the motion, the aircraft, tail number NGR 931, carried 25 passengers and seven crew members on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed.
The Senate noted that air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 9:13 am, while attempts to reach the crew by radio proved unsuccessful before a search-and-rescue operation located the wreckage.
The lawmakers expressed concern over recurring military aviation accidents and the loss of personnel, raising questions about aircraft maintenance, ageing fleets, operational safety protocols and airworthiness.
They warned that failure to conduct a transparent and comprehensive investigation could prevent the authorities from identifying the underlying causes of the crash and taking measures to avert future occurrences.
In its resolutions, the Senate observed a minute’s silence in honour of the victims and extended condolences to President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Nigerian Air Force, the Ondo State Government and the families of those who died.
It urged the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau to conduct a thorough, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the crash and make their findings public.
The chamber also mandated its committees on Air Force and Aviation to visit the crash site, engage NAF authorities and conduct a holistic audit of the serviceability and airworthiness of aircraft in the presidential and military fleets.
The Senate further urged the Federal Government to prioritise funding for regular maintenance and the replacement of ageing military aircraft.
Seconding the motion, the senator representing Borno North, Tahir Monguno, called on the relevant committees to “conduct a comprehensive audit of aircraft in the NAF fleet.”
“The exercise should establish their serviceability, operational readiness and airworthiness to prevent a recurrence,” he said.
The senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, proposed an additional prayer asking the Senate to “direct the leadership of the Nigerian Air Force to submit its aircraft maintenance budgetary provisions to the relevant Senate committee.”
Oshiomhole said the Senate needed to establish what had been provided for aircraft maintenance.
Seconding the additional prayer, Senator Titus Zam, representing Benue North-West, said, “The inquiry should determine the amount allocated to the Air Force for maintenance and whether the funding was sufficient to prevent the incident.”
The proposed audit would therefore examine not only the condition and operational readiness of military aircraft but also the adequacy of funds allocated for their maintenance, amid concerns over the recurrence of fatal military aviation accidents.