Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjoon Tuesday ordered the suspension of operation of two private airlines and the inspection of others in one week following recent deadly air crashes that claimed more than 200 lives.

"All aircraft operated by Sosoliso and Chanchangi Airlines grounded with immediate effect until they secure clearance from the safety committee," said Obasanjo after a three-hour emergency meeting on air safety in the capital Abuja.

Sosoliso Airlines operated a DC-9 aircraft that crashed on Saturday in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt killing 106 people, while the other, Chanchangi Airlines, operated a Boeing 727-200 that overshot the runway and entered into a ditch this June, and another Boeing 727-200 that developed hydraulic problems five minutes after take-off last month, both in the commercial city Lagos.

Obasanjo said that all aircraft operating within the Nigerian airspace are to be investigated under the criteria of age, maintenance procedures and operational capacity.

"All aircraft flying and operating in the country will be checked out within the week and those found defective in any way will be grounded," he warned.

To ensure the integrity of inspection, two experts from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have been invited to join the safety team set up by Nigerian government and more would be invited should the need arise, he said.

Meanwhile, "the aviation minister is to undertake a thorough disengagement and redeployment of personnel in the Ministry and Parastatal through due process," he said.

Obasanjo had earlier placed Permanent Secretary in the AviationMinistry, Tomi Oyelade, and Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Esai Dangabar, on indefinite suspension over the crash.

The president also announced the creation of a special task force to repair airport facilities.

Saturday's tragedy came about seven weeks after a Boeing 737-200 operated by Nigeria's Bellview crashed on the outskirts of Lagos, killing all 117 people on board. Shortly after the crash, Obasanjo had vowed to "plug loopholes" in the country's aviation sector.

At Tuesday's emergency meeting, Obasanjo said angrily "Under a spate of two months, we have had monumental air disasters in this country. Only an irresponsible government or human institution will have that kind of experience without waking up to its obligations to the people."

"We have come to a stage where traveling by air has become apprehensive. We have come to a stage where our economy, our tourism is being adversely affected," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2005)