National Assembly Mulls BASA Treaties Review

The House of Representatives on Wednesday directed its Committees on Treaties and Agreements to review and appraise all Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) between Nigeria and other countries.

The House leadership said that the move is aimed at determining how beneficial the treaties are to the nation. The Committee will report back to the House in two months.

The resolution was taken after the adoption of a motion brought by Hon., Yacoob Bush-Alebiosu (APC, Lagos), entitled: "Call for a critical review of all BASA treaties signed on behalf of Nigeria".

In adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its relevant agency to urgently embark on the audit of all BASA treaties between Nigeria and other countries with a view to streamlining and domesticating same where necessary.

It noted with dismay the ravaging crises in the aviation sector, which have caused passenger apathy towards air travel in recent times.

“Nigeria has signed several treaties and agreements towards improving the safety standard of our travels, which should form the benchmark for the regulatory authorities in the aviation sector to achieve international best practices.

“The signing of BASA agreements on behalf of Nigerians by the Federal Government of Nigeria seems to have been more of a curse to the growth of our aviation sector. The concept of reciprocity and mutual benefits, as enshrined in a working BASA, is not the case with Nigeria as the profile and Nigeria’s aviation sector has continued to nose dive in the midst of these arrays of BASA.

“The underlying tenet and principle behind agreement of this magnitude is equality of flights and accruable benefits between and among airlines of signatory countries without compromising safety and security standards and also not stifling local aviation sector.

“This principle of equal partnership and stakes is not the case, while our aviation regulatory agencies look the other way. The attitude of the ministry and the regulatory parastatals/bodies in the aviation sector has led to several deaths, near fatalities and phobia, and has reached an unprecedented proportion, despite huge government investment in the sector,” Bush-Alebiosu said.