From Suleiman Idris, Lagos
Aviation Minister, Mr. Osita Chidoka has made real his vision to carry out cleansing of the ministry to wield out redundant staff in the agencies under his it, as 187 staff of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have been either sacked or suspended since Monday.
The sacked staff yesterday besieged the minister in Lagos pleading with him to rescind the action and reinstate them as he made to leave the training hall of the NCAA annex, where the ministry and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences (ICPC), launched the anti-corruption intervention in the aviation sector.
Chidoka hinted last week Tuesday, he is poise to descend on non essential staff that made up the buck of employees of the technically demanding agencies, affected staff were those employed between August and late October this year.
Immediate past Acting Director General of NCAA and Director of Airworthiness and Standard, Benedict Adeyileka and Director of Human Resources, Administration, Mr. Austin Amadi had been on suspension for the past two weeks according to a source within the agency.
Adeyileka later handed over to the current DG; Captain Mukhtar Usman after repeated rigmarole following the latter’s clearance by the appropriate authorities.
A source told our correspondent that Adeyileka brought in 350 persons into the system between August and October, while a letter of suspension addressed to a sacked female staff indicated that investigation has been undertaken by the ministry into alleged irregular shady deals perpetuated by Adeyileka.
One of the letter with reference number NCAA/DG/GEN/Vol.11/2014 dated 3rd December 2014 and signed by the General Manager Human Resources, A.M Yasikit read ‘l refer your appointment and subsequent resumption to duty, to inform you that the Ministry of Aviation directed that your appointment be suspended with immediate effect, pending the completion of an investigation being conducted by the ministry”.
The letter also ordered the affected staff to hand over properties, identity cards to their head of department and await further directives.
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