By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has tasked all safety officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to ensure enhanced safety culture in all NAF activities and operations.
Abubakar gave the charge at the NAF Safety Review Board Meeting in Abuja.
He said that the actions or inactions of all NAF personnel could either help to propel or break the accident chain sometimes experienced in the course of NAF activities or operations.
“While we all know that safety is a collective responsibility, this board is primarily accountable for safety administration in the NAF.
“Accidents are the results of a sequence of events, beginning with deliberate decisions taken and NAF cannot afford to pay lip service to issues relating to safety.
“NAF will intensify efforts to enhance safety as it continues its transformation into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the airpower demands of national security in all operational environments,” he said.
The Chief of Standards and Evaluation, AVM Micheal Onyebashi, said the board, being the apex body of the NAF Safety Management Structure, organised the biannual meeting to give direction and guidelines to entrench a healthy safety culture.
He said NAF had since commenced the introduction of safety education at all NAF entry points and training institutions as directed in the last safety board review.
A paper titled “Senior Managers’ Role in Organisational Safety Management System” was delivered by Dr Iteke Chukwunonso of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Chukwunonso emphasised the need for NAF leadership to promote incentives and open reporting through non-punitive disciplinary policies to enhance safety. (NAN)