Biodun Olujimi, chairperson, Senate Committee on Aviation, says the upper chamber will work with the House of Representatives to find a lasting solution to the lingering crisis in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Ms Olujimi, representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, disclosed this while speaking with reporters following her new appointment on Wednesday in Abuja.

“We will have to work together; we will be proactive about it because the issues must be resolved,” Ms Olujimi said. “We cannot allow aviation to fail because that is the only way by which we can move around.”

She stressed the importance of the sector to the nation’s economy, saying her committee would ensure adequate oversight functions to the aviation ministry and agencies to ensure that it thrived.

“There are serious challenges right now, which we will sit together and iron out,” she noted.

Ms Olujimi added, “The house of representatives is already on it. We don’t usually overlap. When the lower house is on it, we always allow them to finish and pass it down.”

Ms Olujimi explained that the lower chamber held a series of meetings with aviation stakeholders, adding that the senate will await their resolutions and act accordingly.

“With the serious insecurity that we are still witnessing, we must make aviation work. It is only through aviation we can surmount our problems for now. So aviation must not collapse.

“We must do everything to ensure that it stays afloat, we must get it back,” Ms Olujimi said.

The lawmaker, however, said she would also work with her predecessor, Smart Adeyemi (APC-Kogi), to bring about the needed solution in the sector.

“It will be good to work with the former chairman because he knows his onions, we are going to work hard to make success of the assignment,” she said.

On Tuesday, the Senate reshuffled the leadership of some of its standing committees.

Following the announcement, Mr Adeyemi, the former chairman of the aviation committee, was moved to chair the committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The former Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP-Kebbi ), now chairs the committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

Former deputy minority leader, Ibrahim Danbaba, is the chairman, Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence, while Michael Nnachi (PDP-Ebonyi) is the chairman, Diaspora and Inter-Governmental Agencies.

(NAN)