President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, sacked the heads of various agencies in the aviation sector, replacing them with acting and substantive heads.
They include Mr. Kabir Mohammed of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria; Mr. Tayib Odunowo of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency; Akinola Olateru of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau; Prof. Mansur Matazu of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency; and Alkali Modibbo, the Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology.
He also suspended the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Musa Nuhu “to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to conduct an unfettered investigation into the activities of the suspended Director-General and other senior officials in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority,” a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed Wednesday night.
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu approves leadership changes in the Aviation and Aerospace Development Sector.’
Consequently, the President appointed Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku as the substantive Managing Director of FAAN; Umar Farouk as the substantive Managing Director of NAMA; son of former Chief of Air Staff, Mr. Alex Badeh Jr. as the substantive Director-General of the NSIB.
Tinubu also named Prof. Charles Anosike as the substantive Director-General of NiMET, Mr. Joseph Imalighwe as the Acting Rector of NCAT, as Mr Chris Najomo assumes office as the Acting Director-General of the NCAA immediately.
Furthermore, he approved the commencement of the process—to be conducted by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo—to recruit a substantive Vice-Chancellor and other principal officers of the African Aviation and Aerospace University.
The move is,“In line with the President’s determination to bring world class standards to Nigerian Civil Aviation in consumer protection and the promotion of the wellbeing of Nigerian passengers and other sectoral stakeholders,” said Ngelale.
The president said he anticipates that the new leadership across the aviation sector will uphold the safety, convenience and comfort of Nigerians people as primary and sacrosanct in all of their administrative activities.
Due to the high cost of underperformance in the sector, the President also demanded the immediate establishment of world-class policy design, implementation and regulatory frameworks to reposition the sector in alignment with his Renewed Hope Agenda.
Ngelale affirmed that all the directives of the President take immediate effect.