Retention of NCAA DG shocks key players

Controversy has greeted the removal of four of the chief executives of the aviation agencies.

After months of speculations of the government move to sack all the chief executives, the Federal Government, on Monday, finally announced the removal of four of the six parastatals leaving the remaining two to continue.

Those removed included the rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Samuel Caulcrick, the acting managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Emma Anasi, director general of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Anthony Anuforom and the commissioner of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Felix Abali.

The decision to retain the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Alhaji Saleh Dunoma and the director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Usman Mukhtar has been raising dust among key players.

Key players have faulted the retention of the NCAA director general in particular following what they called the unacceptable manner he runs the regulatory agency which they traced to some irregularities taking place in the entire sector.

Prior to the removal of some of the heads of the aviation agencies on Monday, many stakeholders had expressed their displeasure at the present leadership of the NCAA over his style of leadership.

Latest among those opposed to the NCAA Chief’s leadership style is the former president of Aviation Round Table (ART) and also a former Director of Flight Operations in the defunct Nigeria Airways, Captain Dele Ore who lamented how the regulatory function of the NCAA has been weakened over time under the watch of the present director general.

While saying the system under Mukhtar was creeping below minimum requirement in safety oversight, Ore in a chat with aviation journalists on Monday said it was high time the Federal Government caused the removal of chief executive officers of some of the aviation agencies for lack of performance particularly the Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Ore said his advocacy for the restructuring of the aviation regulatory body stems from the fact that the Air Worthiness Directorate and Licensing Directorates of the NCAA were manned by people he claimed are not competent and lack the character to effectively regulate the sector.