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Nigerian Government Promises Serious Overhaul of its Aviation Industry

Responding to a national and international cry for safer aviation conditions in its country, the Nigerian government has promised to overhaul the aviation industry and put an end to what President Obasanjo calls ?corruption and corner cutting? in the industry. This announcement was followed by the government?s decision to suspend the license of ADC airlines, following a plane crash on Sunday that killed 96 people. Among the dead were Nigeria?s Muslim spiritual leader, the Sultan of Sokoto and several other politicians.

The Boeing 737 belonging to ADC ? one of Nigeria?s most popular airlines ? went down almost immediately after taking off from the capital, Abuja. Initial findings show that the pilot ignored the weather reports coming from the control tower, which cautioned him not to take off. Other findings at the site of the crash showed an aircraft in deplorable condition, including almost ?bald? tires. This is the third plane crash in less than a year and more than 200 passengers and crew members have been killed in that time period. Last year, 10 senior army officials were killed in a military plane crash.

The Nigerian government declared a three-day mourning period following Sunday?s crash. 70 million Muslims in Nigeria were devout followers of the Sultan of Sokoto, whose body was found among the wreck and buried only a few hours after the tragedy. Government officials visited the Sultan?s palace in Sokoto to pay their respects to their family, who also lost one of the Sultan?s sons in the crash.