Ten years running without aviation boards

One year after President Bola Tinubu led government replaced the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Tinubu government had on many occasions emphasised that it is operating on its own identity without necessarily having to kowtow to the policies of the former government.

Even when it is often said that government is a continuum, the Tinubu government may have tilted towards not totally accepting the previous policies; but it has been observed that the Tinubu government applies the principle of continuity when it pleases.

With focus on aviation, the Tinubu administration has made tremendous efforts in giving the sector a new lease of life as witnessed in its ability, through the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to revamp its once battered image before the global space. This is a far departure from the confused state it was left in by the previous government.

While the Tinubu-led government had in the last one year of its existence jettisoned unpopular policies of the Buhari government like the now foiled national carrier project and the forceful relocation of all agencies’ headquarters to Abuja, the current government may soon run into problems with key players in the sector following its refusal to constitute the governing boards of the aviation agencies.

The Tinubu government has been accused of exploiting the principle of continuity to the detriment of the entire sector, thereby empowering the minister to continue to single-handedly run the affairs of the entire sector while frustrating the constitution of the governing boards that should serve as checks and balances.

The failure of the Tinubu government to listen to the yearnings of stakeholders to inaugurate the aviation boards, which was heavily criticised in the outgone year, is again taking centre stage in the new year with key players demanding for the constitution of the boards without further delay.

For the eight years of the Buhari government, the then minister, Senator Hadi Sirika was left alone to run the show with no governing boards in place despite the calls from key players to do the needful.

While the situation continued with severe consequences arising and creating tension in the sector, the same Buhari government shocked Nigerians when in less than 24 hours to the expiration of its tenure, in a controversial manner, it hurriedly inaugurated the boards that it had failed to put in place for eight years.

As expected, the minister appointed by Tinubu to take over the sector wasted no time in rejecting these boards which gave hope to key players. It was hoped that the Tinubu government will in no time put in place the boards.

With one year gone and second year running, the key players have renewed their calls for the constitution of the boards.

Key players speak

The general secretary of Aviation Round Table (ART), Mr Olumide Ohunayo, who described the constitution of the boards as long overdue, called on the Tinubu government to listen to the yearnings of the stakeholders in the new year.

While saying the lack of the boards had led to abuse of power and interferences, Ohunayo declared: “It was the immediate past minister that presented the bills for all the agencies, and in that bill for all the agencies, each of the agencies had their boards in the acts. At a time, there was this rumour that this act was constituted, but we have not seen the action in that aspect. None of them has been constituted. It’s one year now. Mr President has it within his powers to constitute the boards. I think that should be done in line with the act that established the agencies. It’s been long overdue, it’s needed as part of the requirements of the agencies to be managed along with the managements of the agencies. We need to get rid of this fear that agencies increase cost. We have seen powers being abused in these agencies. We have seen unilateral decisions taken. There are interferences in the management and employment and that is why we need the boards of each of the agencies to come on. Today, it’s a bit late but it’s not over. I just want the board for each of the parastatals constituted.”

For the Chief Executive Officer of Selective Security International, Mr Ayo Obilana, it is only the President that has the power to facilitate the constitution of the boards.

He said, “Government’s decision to constitute boards for the parastatals lies with the minister, and I don’t think anyone can compel the minister to act on the subject matter except the President of the Federal Republic.”

Reacting, the Managing Director of Centurion Aviation Security, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), said the presence of the boards would have created crisis between them and the minister.

“How do you think the minister will feel if boards are constituted? There would have been a public fight between him and the boards. Today, he is the alpha and omega, the CEO of the agencies. That was why I asked the former minister to limit political interference only to the CEOs and boards and not to include the directors. They come with empty pockets take their bite and walk away with their pockets filled. The managers who are looking to become directors, which they cannot be, can’t do anything.”

The six agencies being denied the constituted boards despite that the relevant Acts that make the boards mandatory are: the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

The boards which were last constituted in the first tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari had their inauguration stalled due to the allegation that their composition was not in line with the Acts establishing the agencies. However, they were never replaced since then.

READ ALSO: Why Keyamo should urgently constitute aviation boards