Fresh indication has emerged that the tenure of the former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Capt Rabiu Yadudu was not renewed because he was accused of not doing enough to facilitate the take off of Nigeria air.
The appointment of Kabir Yusuf Mohammed as the new Managing Director of the authority.
The appointment of the current Manager of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to replace Yadudu whose tenure expired, came barely one week to the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Yadudu, who was appointed by Buhari in 2019, was replaced last Friday along with five other directors of the agency.
There are indications that a similar exercise will be carried out in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), and other agencies under the Ministry of Aviation.
However, Yusuf was appointed as the Chairman, AviationRoadmap Implementation Committee in January 2022 by the Minister of Aviation,Hadi Sirika, a position he effectively combined with his office as General Manager, Special Duties at FAAN.
Aviation World gathered that there might be resignations of senior personnel, a development that has threatened the leadership of the NigerianCivil Aviation Authority, NCAA. An authoritative source told Aviation World that the gale of resignation, might not be connected to pressure by the Ministry of Aviation to change the rules to enable the controversial nationalcarrier, Nigeria Air take off before May 29, 2023.
The source hinted that the Ministry of Aviation is puttingthe NCAA under pressure to waive some aspects of regulation to see the controversial carrier airborne before the administration signs out in less than eight days.
The source stated that the promoters of Nigeria Air are yetto meet the five-stage processes that would guarantee the issuance of AOC for the airline to take off.
Stakeholders in the aviation industry have called on the outgoing Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to write his name in gold by appointing senior directors to the positions of chief executive officers of the agencies, adding that professionals should be allowed to remain in the sector rather than being posted out of it.