Following the federal government’s controversial directives to the aviation agencies to relocate their head offices to Abuja, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has commenced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Lagos to Abuja.
The minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika had through a circular issued on May 4th, 2020 given all the aviation organizations 45 days within which to relocate their headquarters to the Federal capital territory.
In line with the ministerial directives, the Commissioner of AIB, Engineer Akin Olateru with the strategic officers of the Bureau had since been operating from Abuja.
Among the reasons the minister attributed to the relocation directive was to ensure efficient and effective coordination and enhanced service delivery between the ministry of aviation and its agencies.
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A reminder letter sent to the Agencies on the relocation directives partly stated: “Accordingly, considering the current situation and the economic impact worldwide, as well as the need to reduce the cost of governance and manage the available resources in a sustainable way, it has become imperative and further to the Minister’s directives to request that you facilitate and complete the relocation exercise of your corporate headquarters to Abuja within the next 45 days, in line with earlier directives.
The AIB reacting to the reminder declared: “Further to the directive given by the ministry of aviation, Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria has strictly adhered to this directive by relocating its head office to its office in Abuja, with the Commissioner /CEO and other essential staff to relocate to the head office considering the lockdown and funding to aid the relocation.The Bureau has also effected these changes on all its social media platforms and other formal means of communications.”
Other agencies affected by the relocation order are the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The other two agencies, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), has already been in Abuja while the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), has its head office in Zaria.
The relocation of AIB to Abuja is coming despite all opposition towards the policy by major key players across the sector on the premise that the move was ill-timed in view of the cost implications at a time the COVID-19 pandemic has almost crumbled the financial strength of the sector including the agencies which are presently grappling with payment of workers.
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