Jonathan sacks heads of aviation agencies

From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered the sack of five heads of the aviation agencies in the country.

This is coming barely three weeks after the sack of former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, who was accused of procuring two BMW bullet proof cars at the staggering sum of N255 million.

Their sack was communicated in a statement from the Presidency signed on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, by his Special Assistant on Media, Sam Nwaobasi.

All the heads of aviation agencies including George Uriesi, Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nnamdi Udoh, Managing Director of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Fola Akinkuotu, Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Muktar Usman, Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB); Chinyere Kalu, Rector Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) were fired.

The only surviving official in the agency is the head of the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) Dr. Anthony Aniforum retained his position.

It is noteworthy that the sacked Aviation Minister, Oduah, appointed all the affected heads during her two and half years in office.

The new structure will see Usman (former commissioner at AIB) replacing Akinkuotu at NCAA subject to confirmation by the Senate while Benedict Adeyileka, a Director of Airworthiness at NCAA is to act as NCAA D-G pending confirmation of Usman. Also, Felix Abali, the Director of Licensing in NCAA replaces Usman at AIB.

Saleh Dunouma, former Director of Projects in FAAN has replaced Uriesi while Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Director of Procurement in NAMA has been named the new NAMA Managing Director. Akinyele Caulcrick, a Pilot and instructor at NCAT has been named as replacement for Kalu.

Akinkuotu has only stayed for six months in office after the removal of Harold Demuren as NCAA D-G.