Condemnation trails bloated directorates in Aviation sector

More condemnations have continued to trail the appointment of 46 directors for five out of the six aviation agencies by Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

This time around, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, the General Secretary, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), in an exclusive interview with Daily Independent, said that with the current composition, there was no way the aviation agencies could survive.
He also told Nigerians not to expect anything different in the current dispen-sation, despite the Renewed Hope mantra of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Ohunayo regretted that while the stakeholders in the sector were looking forward to Keyamo correcting some of the anomalies created by Sen. Hadi Sirika, the immediate past Minister of Aviation, through the creation of more directorates in the twilight of the past administration, the current minister had rather continued in that stead.

Ohunayo also declared that the continuous imposition of incompetent personnel from outside the system on the career civil servants was doing more damage to the system than good as the growth of the civil servants was stunted.

He pointed out that the agen¬cies are currently not being run efficiently, insisting that they are top heavy.

He said: “The agencies cannot survive with the high number of directorates that we now have. In all, we have about 46 of them and we were complaining about what Sirika left behind. It is too heavy. Again, you are not moving people, rather, you are killing the career civil servants. You are bringing friends and families into the system to come and take positions they are not qualified for.
“Until when you are ready to prune down the expenses, allow the agencies to run efficiently, I doubt if any other activities in the sector can really move. As of today, the industry is still run by the agencies and so far, the agen¬cies have not been efficiently managed.

“The efficiency must show in the management. What is happening is that what has happened in the past is being deodorised under the Agenda of Renewed Hope. I am not so sure if anything different will happen in this dispensation.”

Also, Capt. Mohammed Badamasi, aviation stakeholder, said that the current number of directorates was humongous and needless.
Badamasi explained that a lot of things are being done without the consultations of the stakeholders, insisting that the minister had not learnt anything from the past mistakes.

“It is wrong to have such a high number of directors in the agencies. The government ought to have consulted the professionals in the sector for some of its actions,” he said.
Badamasi, however, said that it was necessary for Keyamo to tell the public how he came about such high number of directors in the agencies.
Besides, Engr. Sheri Kyari, industry analyst, described the appointments as compensation for those who worked for the emergence of the current administration.

Like Ohunayo, Kyari said that the colossal appointments would add to the burden of the agencies as each of the directors would have at least two official vehicles and personnel working in their offices.

He decried that the agencies have been politicised by politicians, as some of the directors lacked industry experience.
He maintained that most of the appointed directors would have to learn the nity-gritty of the sector before they find their footing.
“It is quite high, but like I said because it is politics, the government is looking at compensating some people who they felt supported them in coming to power. That is how you find some people in the system.

“We have said it times without number that from the offices of directors downward, they should be career people. People should go from bottom and get to the director level, rather than just bringing people from outside to that top level.”
The Federal Government had last December, appointed 46 new directors for agencies under the Ministry of Aviation and Aero¬space Development.

This came a week after the government sacked chief executives of aviation agencies followed by their directors in the agencies.
For the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the government had appointed Prof. Vincent Ezikornwor Weli Director of the Weather Services; Prof. Odjugo Ovuyovwiroye, Director, Research and Training; Onyegbule Amarachi, Director, Applied Meteorological Services; Abdulkareem Olayinka, Director, Engineering and Technical Services; Funke Arowojobe, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection; Shola Gabriel, Director, Legal Services/Company Secretary; Nasiru Sani, Director, Human Resources and Administration; Alex Yusuf, Director, Finance and Accounts, and Air-iohuodion Omonzojie, Director, Corporate Services.

For the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Engr. Balang Godwin was appointed as the Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards; Yinka Boboye, Director, Air Transport Regulations; Capt. Donald Spiff, Director, Operations, Licensing and Training; Michael Achimugu, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection; Omogo Chinedu, Director, Aviation Security Regulation; Olufemi Odukoya, Director, Finance and Accounts; Engr. Victor Goyea, Director, Airworthiness Standards; Barr. Mary Tufano, Director, Legal Services/Company Secretary; Anastasia Gbem, Director, Human Resources and Administration; Horatius Egua, Director, Special Duties, and Rebecca Aghadinazu, Director, Corporate Services.

At the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Muonemeh Lotenna was appointed as the Director, Finance and Accounts; John Tayo, Director, Operations; Abimbola Ladipo, Director, Human Resources and Administration; Engr. Ijeoma Ihenachor, Director, Safety Electronic and Engineering Services; Rita Egbadon, Director, Legal Services/Company Secretary; Abdulahi Musa, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection; Abba Ahmad, Director, Special Duties, and Ibrahim Aliyu as the Director Corporate Services.
At the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Engr. Abdullahi Babanya was appointed Director, Engineering Services; Odita Francis, Director, Operations; Engr. Nwobu Patrick, Director, Transport Investigation; Esosa Eremwanarua, Director, Legal Services/Company Secretary; Engr. Lawal Abdulmumin, Director, Human Resources; Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection; Mrs. Okundaye-Oke Itohan Folake, Director, Finance and Accounts, and Baro Minabowanre, Director, Corporate Services.

At the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr. Muniru Abiola was appointed as the Director, Engineering Services; Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood, Director, Airport Operations; Ayodele Olatiregun, Director, Finance and Accounts; Luqman Eniola, Director, Human Resources and Administration; Igbafe Afegbai, Director, Aviation Security Services; Mrs. Bridget Gold, Director, Legal Services/Company Secretary; Jensen Asaba, Director, Corporate Services; Obiageli Orah, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection; Henry Agbebire, Director, Special Duties, and Adebola Agunbiade, Director, Commercial and Business Development.
The government also said that the appointment of Director, Cargo Services, FAAN would be made shortly.

Credit: Daily Independent