Sirika’s relocation of aviation agencies to Abuja, anti-development — Bibi

THREE years after the relocation of aviation agencies’ headquarters to Abuja from Lagos, stakeholders across the sector have continued to call on the President Bola Tinubu’s led government to upturn the decision.

A former general manager of Ilorin airport terminal of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Alhaji Abubakar Bibi, described the earlier relocation by the former minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika as anti-development.

While speaking with some journalists on Thursday, Abubakar used the opportunity to call on the government to investigate the botched national carrier project, Nigeria Air, which was launched on May 26.

Still speaking on the controversial relocation of the head offices of the agencies to Abuja, the former airport manager argued that since the bulk of aviation activities happen in Lagos, be wondering why  the immediate past Minister of Aviation would relocate the agencies to Abuja from Lagos, and hence, called for the immediate reversal of the policy even as he added that the agencies had no business in Abuja.

The decision of the former minister was responsible for the demolition of the over N5 billion Lagos headquarters of the Accident Investigation Bureau now turned Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB)  in March 2021.

Two years after the demolition, 70 percent still work from home while those forcefully relocated to Lagos are sleeping in their cars with thick bush already taken over the demolished office space.

Like many key players, the airport manager also urged the Tinubu government to nullify some of the last minute appointments carried out in the sector by Sirika while he described most of the former minister’s action as a setback to the sector which must not be allowed to go unchecked by the Tinubu led government.

Abubakar, who acknowledged that Tinubu has the knack for spotting talents, urged him to appoint a competent person as the next minister for the sector in order to reposition it.

According to him, the sector required a holistic repositioning and lamented that the industry for eight years have no governing boards for the agencies, which by law was supposed to be responsible for several policy decisions, especially employment of required personnel.

His words: “The former minister has succeeded in destroying the aviation industry. How can you make appointments of board members the day you were leaving office after spending eight years without boards? Imagine the appointments were announced on the day of inauguration of a new government.

“From my own personal opinion, I don’t think FAAN has any business to do in Abuja as headquarters because Lagos is where a chunk of the revenues come from. Why will you relocate them to Abuja? What for?

“So, the new administration has to overhaul the entire system. Most of the appointments made were to cover up from certain issues.”

Describing the launch of Nigeria Air on Friday, May 26, 2023 as a scam, which must not be allowed to stand, Abubakar revealed how the scam had  led to the resignation of the Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines, the major partner in the project.

He, however emphasized the need for the incoming Minister of Aviation to interact with airline operators and other players in designing any policy that would encourage and support investments in the industry.

“If government wants to revive the aviation industry, it has to carry the operators along because most of the decisions taken by the former administration, they didn’t consult the air operators.

“The entire aviation industry must be restructured. What happened under the last administration was nothing to write home about. What the President should do again is to look at the people who can handle that industry properly.

“If he appoints a minister, the minister should just sit down and say, ‘fine, let everybody bring his inputs’. I am sure by doing this, things would improve. But, aviation now in Nigeria is a total mess. Mr. President should also investigate what happened with Nigeria Air.”