ICAO Re-elects Aliu as Council President

Chinedu Eze
The member states of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have re-elected a Nigerian, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, for another three-year term as President of the Council.

The first tenure of Aliu commenced on January 1, 2014, and would continue until December 31, 2016. Prior to his election, Aliu served as the Representative of Nigeria on the Council from January 1, 2005, to December 31 2013.

In his acceptance remark after his re-election, Aliu said: “Over the past three years, ICAO has been working tirelessly to promote the importance of civil aviation to socio-economic development as well as its prioritisation in national and regional investment and development planning.

“We have also made great strides in securing the assistance and capacity building for our member states under the ICAO ‘No Country Left Behind’ initiative, and will now look forward to its next interaction which will be more focused on aviation infrastructure development.”

Aliu said the ICAO Council has played a key leadership role in this process, and its guidance would now be needed more than ever to assure the fast-tracked development of the new ICAO Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP) endorsed at the 39th Assembly to make ICAO’s audit processes more efficient and effective and ensure ICAO fully optimises its extensive audit and other data; to refine all of its programmes and priorities, and importantly, to help ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) become fully operational by 2020.

“Going forward, the ongoing pursuit of the objectives and targets under ICAO’s Global Plans for Safety and Air Navigation, the GASP and the GANP, should be complemented with added guidance to States on the operational, regulatory, training and capacity building requirements in support of the ICAO Aviation system Block Upgrades (ASBUs), both nationally and regionally,” Aliu said.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, who witnessed the election thanked the Council for its support in the re-election of Aliu for another term.

“I am indeed humbled and honoured to be with you in this hallow chamber and to witness the election of Dr. Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu. He is a Nigerian, an African and a world aviator, as president of ICAO Council for a second term in office. On behalf of my delegation, the government and good people of Nigeria as well as entire people of Africa. I wish to thank you very much for your support and the election of Aliu,” Sirika said.

Appreciating the significance of trust bestowed on Aliu, Sirika noted: “For the world after 9/11 to trust and put confidence in one of us to oversee the world of aviation is extremely very significant. And for us without a doubt we want to assure you that this action today will be recognised in the future actions of Aliu and you will certainly not be disappointed.”