Worried by underground moves by some industry players to thwart its proposal for the appointment of a technocrat as the next aviation minister, joint aviation unions and associations, yesterday, insisted on its agitation for the appointment of a technocrat as minister of aviation.
The aviation unions comprising : Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria( ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees ( NUATE ), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers ( NAAPE), National Association of Air Traffic Controllers ( NATCA), National Air Traffic Association of Nigeria ( NACAN), Nigeria Professional Pilots , Aviation Roundtable and the Airline Operators of Nigeria ( AON), said that their position that an industry technocrat be appointed the next aviation minister has not changed .
According to Captain Nogie Meggison, convener of the stakeholders meeting, it is constrained to restate this position on account of feelers emanating from some circles that some persons are capitalizing on the open letter sent to President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint a technocrat as minister to lobby for themselves .
He said it has come to the notice of stakeholders that some persons were using some experts to make case for themselves as against the collective position.
Meggison said as much as stakeholders have resolved that a technocrat should be appointed as aviation minister, but not some industry players or head of aviation agencies that have misled previous aviation ministers, who are using their positions to lobby for the position of aviation minister, without the requisite capacity and track record for the position.
Meggison said “one of the major reasons why industry players need a technocrat as the next aviation minister is to rescue the industry from its current state, where certain self centered elements without pedigree and track record want to continue to hijack the industry .
“ A clear situation is where the industry finds itself today where such people are now in Abuja lobbying to be the next minister of aviation. The appointment of a technocrat will be able see through their selfish motives to enable him or her decipher the grain from the chaff” he added
He said such opportunists and industry sycophants in the past set “banana peel “on the paths of previous aviation ministers to pave the way for their failure.
He said the industry has some seasoned industry technocrats not limited to the following: Captain Dapo Olumide,former managing director of Air Nigeria; and deputy managing director, Aerocontractors , and is currently financial consultant with African Finance Corporation.
Captain Kiddy Dare, former logistics director ExxonMobil, and former director of operations at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Captain Ibrahim Seidu , managing director , Kabo Air, Captain Ibrahim Mshelia , rector, Mish Aviation Flying School, Acccra, he is also managing director of Westlink Airlines.
Captain Adebayo Araba, former rector, Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Engineer Folashade Odutola, also former rector at NCAT, ex- director of airworthiness standards, NCAA, as well as Nigeria’s representative in ICAO.
Meggison said there are other competent technocrats with track record to move aviation industry to the next level.
Some of the industry players lobbying for the position, he said do not have the track record to move the aviation sector to the next level.
Meanwhile, Captain Dele Ore, president of Aviation Roundtable, has also warned against the use of the open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan as an avenue by some self-seeking experts to advance their selfish desire to lobby for the position of aviation minister.
“Now that aviation has a supervising minister he should be allowed to clear the mess left behind at the Ministry of Aviation by Princess Stella Oduah.
The so called aviation professionals clamouring to be appointed to replace her are being sponsored to cover the tracks of our dear Princess Stella.
Documents being brandished as the industry clamour were fraudulently being used for this ulterior motive because at no time have we got to a stage where names are being suggested.
The same so called professionals that are now agitating to be considered to replace Princess Stella are those that misadvised her and are being sponsored for the “BIG COVER-UP” that needs urgent probes, re-organization of the ministry and some agencies under the Ministry of Aviation.
It will be recalled that my good self as President of Aviation Round Table with our Secretary General Mr. Sam Owolabi Akerele at very short notice honoured an invitation to be at an urgent meeting initiated by Capt. Noggie Meggison on Saturday 8th Feb 2014 to discuss the industry need for a professional to be appointed as minister of aviation.
Aviation Round Table respect institutions and not personalities. Therefore if the chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) invited us for any reasons we always accorded them respect to attend more so that we tried to attend so that we tried to play mediatory role when they became fractionized.