- Operators fault removal of NAMA managing director
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of about 33 new directors in agencies under the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.
In a statement, Tuesday by the Head of Press and Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace, Odetayo Oluseyi, the new appointees are to help reposition the agency to perform its statutory duties as enshrined in the Acts and help address appropriate placements and federal character requirements.
The statement highlighted some of the modifications as “the creation of new directorates in some of the agencies, prominent amongst which are the Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Corporate Services, and Aviation Security directorates.
“The creation of the Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Directorate is to put the agencies on their toes in terms of adequately addressing complaints by their respective stakeholders and oversee the Public Affairs / Protocol, Consumer Protection, SERVICOM, and Anti-Corruption Departments, while the Aviation Security Directorate in the NCAA will regulate the activities of the AVSEC personnel, especially with their recent arms-bearing status. The Corporate Services Directorates are to oversee procurement and planning, research, and departments,” it said.
The reorganisation, however, necessitated the appointment of Kabir Yusuf Mohammed as the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
Similarly, Tayib Odunowo has been appointed the substantive Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, to take over from Matthew Lawrence Pwajok who reverts to his substantive position as Director of Operations of the Agency.
The Directors-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Akin Olateru; the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Mansur Matazu and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Musa Nuhu, are to run the remaining course of their tenures in line with the Acts setting up their respective agencies.
Also, the Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Bako Mansur Modibo, has been granted a one-year extension, also in line with the Act setting up the college.
Other appointments include: FAAN: Managing Director, Kabir Yusuf Mohammed; Human Resources and Administration, Shehu D. Mohammed; Commercial and Business Management, Olumuyiwa Femi-Pearse; Corporate Services, Azubuike Okorie; General Manager (Statistics); Kingsley Uchechukwu Okunji; General Manager (Special Duties), Jemilu Abdulrahman.
NCAA: Director General/CEO, Capt. Musa S. Nuhu, Director, Airworthiness Standards, Gbolahan Abatan; Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Godwin Balang; Director, Operations, Ibrahim Danbazau; Director, Air Transport Regulations, Olaniyi Saraku; Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Chris Najomo; Director, Aviation Security, Air Cdr. Hambali Tukur; Director, Corporate Services, R. M. Daku (Mrs); Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Mrs. Mary Tufano; General Manager (Audit), Mrs. Dawa Gyaks; General Manager (Accounts), Mr. Aminu Tasi’u.
NSIB: Director General/CEO, Akin Olateru; Director, Finance and Accounts, Ori Bassey; Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, James A. Odaudu; Director, Corporate Services, Oliobi Godfrey Ikemefuna; Transport Investigation, Capt. Tosin Odulaja; Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Illitrus Ahmadu.
NIMET: Director General/CEO, Mansur Bako Matazu; Human Resources and Admin, Saleh Tukur Yusuf; Director, Weather Forecasting Services, Daniel Okafor Chibueze; Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Ahmed A. Sanusi; Director, Research and Training, Effiong Essien Oku.
NAMA: Director General/CEO, A. Tayib Odunowo; Director, Operations, Matthew Lawrence Pwajok; Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Khalid Emele; Corporate Services, Uchendu Chibuzo Oji; General Manager, Public Affairs, Amaka Ude Walker.
Operators fault removal of NAMA managing director
However, operators and industry stakeholders have criticised Sirika’s actions, saying the last-minute changes could affect the sector.
They decried the non-confirmation of the replaced NAMA Managing Director, Pwajok, who was appointed in acting capacity in February 2022 and has since exceeded the six months acting stewardship of the agency.
An industry pressure group, Aviation Round Table Initiative has described the last-minute activities of the minister as condemnable and unwarranted.
The group in a statement said, “For eight solid years, the Minister of Aviation appropriated the required governance structure under his personal control by neglecting to appoint the statutory governing boards required to ease the functions of the agencies and parastatals under him.
“The ART is of the opinion that this amongst other actions taken by the minister regressed rather than grew the organisations. The minister’s direct control resulted in transactional rather than functional operation of the agencies, thereby impeding their progress and his rating.
“The minister through his micromanagement activities has further demonstrated the need to scrap the Ministry of Aviation and place the various departments with proper governance structures back in the Ministry of Transport while granting independence to Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority under the appropriate internationally recognised structures for regulating the Nigerian aviation sector to achieve global best practices.’’
