The General Manager of the Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Hon. Monday Diamond Ani, has condemned attempts to politicise Thursday’s runway excursion involving an Enugu Air aircraft in Benin, describing such reactions as insensitive and driven by cheap political motives.
Reacting to the incident in a statement, Ani said runway excursions are not uncommon in the global aviation industry and should not be exploited to score political points, particularly when no lives were lost and all passengers and crew members emerged unhurt.
He maintained that similar incidents have occurred in countries with advanced aviation sectors, stressing that the Enugu Air occurrence should be viewed from a professional aviation perspective rather than through a political lens.
According to him, “Runway excursions and even landing crashes of aircraft are not new in the aviation industry anywhere in the world. Even in the most developed countries, planes experience runway excursions and landing accidents. So why should that of Enugu Air be used as a tool to score cheap and inconsequential political gains?”
Ani argued that Enugu Air has continued to enjoy growing public acceptance since it commenced operations, attributing its popularity to affordable fares, punctual service, passenger comfort, safety standards and the professionalism of its management and cabin crew.
He described the airline as one of the country’s most patronised carriers in the last six months, insisting that the recent incident does not diminish its operational record.
The CSDA boss further explained that runway excursions are often caused by adverse weather conditions and other operational factors rather than the condition or quality of an aircraft.
“Runway excursions are mostly natural occurrences anywhere in the world, often orchestrated by bad or turbulent weather, so it’s not about plane standard,” he said.
Expressing gratitude that the incident ended without casualties, Ani urged Nigerians to appreciate the professionalism of the flight crew instead of turning the development into political propaganda.
“We should be very thankful to God Almighty that all passengers and cabin crews onboard were safe and unharmed, and not making politics out of nothing, for it’s only mentally derailed persons that would toe that line of criticism rather than thanking God and commending the strong efforts of the pilots to guarantee passengers’ safety and an unharmed landing,” he stated.
He called on the public to allow aviation authorities to complete their assessment of the incident while avoiding narratives capable of undermining confidence in the state’s indigenous airline.
