The Federal Government has removed the Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, from office.
This is as the Federal Government has appointed the current Manager of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Kabir Yusuf Mohammed, as the new Managing Director of FAAN and is expected to resume duty next week.
Although the reason for his removal is still unclear, Yadudu, who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, was relieved of his appointment on Friday along with 5 other directors of the agency.
He was appointed as the Chairman, Aviation Roadmap Implementation Committee in January 2022 by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, a position he effectively combined with his office as the General Manager, Special Duties at FAAN.
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According to sources, 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.
Also, a gale of the resignation of senior personnel has hit the apex civil aviation regulatory: Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), over what sources hinted might not be unconnected to pressure by the Ministry of Aviation to change the rules to enable the controversial national carrier – Nigeria Air take – off before May 29, 2023.
The source hinted that the Ministry of Aviation is putting the NCAA under pressure to waive some aspects of regulation to see the controversial carrier airborne before the administration signs out in less than 9 days.
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These insider sources at the NCAA said the promoters of Nigeria Air are yet to 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.