Nigerian Flight Deck Travel and Business Reportage
THE man we know as Engr.Chukwuma Emmanuel Diala and his positions in the Accident Investigation Bureau(AIB) cum ex-Nigeria Airways staff
It is imperative to note that the sustainability of all the investigations and the running of the core functions of AIB has been the passion of the person of Engr. Chukwuma Emmanuel Diala the Director of Engineering in the Bureau, the motivating factor behind the Air Safety Investigators.
His doggedness managerial and leadership qualities have earn him more respect among staff of the Bureau and his counterpart the Director of Operations.
He has so much passion for the job and his wealth of experience in the aviation industry which made him the pivotal force for the Air Safety Investigators in the Bureau.
He is an instrument of good and sustainability in the governing of the Bureau so to say he has the job at heart because he gives good and sound judgment in all investigations ever carried out by him and ‘his colleagues’ as he normally calls the investigators.
He leads very well in all aspect of accident and incident investigations and manages both investigators and investigations so well which can be testify by professionals in other sisters investigating bodies all over the world (i.e; NTSB, UK-AAIB, BEA of France, TSB of Canada, etc.) as well as equipment vendors alike.
He has been in the forefront to see that the Bureaus’ flight laboratory, wreckage hangar, be in a standard and workable form as he always have it in heart to leave not just a legacy but strong and good legacy of a workable system behind for his colleagues.
He has always been an advocate of training and re-training of his colleagues (investigators) to world-class and industry standard as he always says was the trend of ‘Nigeria Airways’. He is a good person to reckon with when it comes to good administration and its management so to say.
To read White Paper Recommendation on Engineer Diala, Click links below
He likes due process to a fault that’s the reason ‘some cabals’ want to defame his character which he treasure so well. Permit me to recount his activities as an Ex-Nigeria Airways staff; He joined Nigeria Airways in 1980 as a Supervisory Engineer. He was the Nigeria Airways Technical Representative and Station Engineer in London Heathrow airport for eight years.
In the year in question which was between 1997- 1999, wherein the allegation that led the Federal Government of Nigeria set a Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the investigation of the Management of Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) otherwise known as Justice Obiora Nwazota’s Panel. It is a seven man panel with Honourable Justice Obiora Nwazota Rtd as the Chairman and Mrs. Catherine Okon as the Secretary of the commission.
It is against the background that President Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR) set up a commission of inquiry for the management of NAL (1983-1999) with terms of references which resulted to submission of Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the investigation of the Management of Nigeria Airways Limited on January, 2003.
In its terms of reference it investigated among other things application of funds including budgetary allocations, procurement and maintenance policies of the company.
It made recommendations in ways and means of recovering any sums lost by the NAL and recommended measures to be taken to prevent or forestall future occurrences.
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry on NAL, submitted its report on the 8th May 2002. Subsequently, the Federal Government, through a letter under the Secretary to the Government of the Federation reference No. 58988/S5/277 dated 4th June 3002, set up a White Paper Drafting Committee on the Report.
The Committee having carefully studied and analyzed the findings and recommendations contained in the four volume Reports submitted by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the Management of NAL submitted its views/comments on the report to the Government. It is pertinent to mention that both the Judicial Commission and the White Paper cleared Engr. C. E. Diala of any wrong doing and recommend in this write-up in part as it concern Engr. Emmanuel Diala in pages 12, 13, 28, 31 and 32 of the White Paper as follows:
1.24 Recommendation 12
That the prolonged rental dues and occasions of over pricing during Maintenance and D-check with Hak Air totaling US$4,052,234.50 be recovered from Alhaji Jani Ibrahim.
Comments
Government accepts this recommendation and hereby directs the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Police Force to recover the sum of US$4,052,234.50 from Alhaji Jani Ibrahim.
1.25 Observation (Vol.1 Page 70 of the Report)
During the fiscal years between 1997, 1998 and 1999, it was observed that due to the MDs high handedness style of management, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim dismissed three engineers he thought were threat to his fraudulent practices, after they offered some professional advice to him which were contrary to his fraudulent schemes.
1.26 Recommendation 13
That the 3 No. Engineers who were dismissed by Alhaji Jani Ibrahim under decree 17 should be re-instated into NAL’s service or in lieu duly compensated by NAL for their premature loss of services. The Engineers are Engr. C. E. Diala, Engr. Uche Nwoji and Engr. P. E. Adah.
Comments
Government notes this recommendation and directs that their dismissal be commuted to retirement from service. The period of their dismissal from service, should therefore be taken into consideration in calculating their terminal benefits.
2.23ervation Im(,leS /19 to 50 of the Report)
It was observed that during the first locally C-Check (1) an Airbus in
Nigeria by Revilo, it was discovered that US$616,052.26 was made as over-payment.2.24 Recommendation 12
Alhaji Jani Ibrahim ex-Managing Director, NAL should refund to NAL
the sum of US$616,052.26 being the excess payments he caused NAL to make to Revillo.
Comments
Government accepts this recommendation as the Former MD acted
unilaterally by opting for a higher price in place of a lower one resulting in the loss. The Federal Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Police Force are hereby directed to initiate steps to recover the sum of US$616,052.26 from Alhaji Jani Ibrahim.2.35 Observation (Vol.2, Pages 58-59 of the Report)
The Commission observed that the termination of appointment and the dismissal of some key officers Of NAL during the period of the Ex. MD of NAL under the Decree No.17 of 1984 in the Public interest was done in bad fate, which was a travesty of justice.
2.36 Recommendation 18
(i) The Commission recommends an immediate reinstatement in the service of NAL (with all his entitlements) of Engineer Emmanuel Chukwuma Diala.
(ii) The Commission recommends .further that the cases of all Officers of NAL similarly dismissed by Alhaji Jan’ Ibrahim acting .
See attached copies in part of the white paper and letter from Federal Ministry of Aviation dated 28th July, 2003 with reference MCA/008/S.6/C.1/Vol.I/151.
