A coalition of aviation unions and professional associations have called on the Federal Government to immediately appoint a substantive managing director for Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to prevent workers from compromising safety and avoid vacuum in the agency.
NAMA among other things provide air traffic services in Nigeria, including air traffic control, visual and non-visual aids, aeronautical telecommunication services and electricity supplies relating thereto, to enable public transport, private, business and military aircraft fly, as far as practicable and as safely as possible.
Johnson Agbede, spokesman, said that the worker may stage a protest tomorrow to express their displeasure over the leadership vacuum that is currently playing out.
The call is coming on the heels of the alleged looting of the agency and arrest of top officials of the agency over alleged N5billion fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He stated that if urgent steps were not taken, this could adversely compromise safety, as workers do not know whom to take directives from; adding that, leadership tussle in the agency is currently tearing NAMA apart, following the appointment of two officials in acting capacity in less than one week.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had on February 16, 2016, directed Mr. Emmanuel Anasi, an Acting Director in the agency, to act as the managing director, following the arrest of the substantive Managing Director of the agency, Engr, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, and three others by the EFCC allegedly in connection with the N5 billion fraud.
However, the directors, who were not comfortable with the minister’s appointment, petitioned the Ministry of Aviation that the tradition of allowing the most senior director to act as acting managing director was not applied, and that the agency was progressing in error.
Sequel to this petition, the Ministry on Friday directed Akangson, the current Director of Human Resources, who is the most senior director, to take over as the Acting Managing Director.
Based on the leadership tussle in the agency, the Coalition of Aviation Unions and Professional equally noted that Akangson’s appointment was a total violation of NAMA Act.
They were also piqued that being an in-law to the former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, a thorough probe of the agency may be hindered as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is probing virtually the entire management of the agency for some controversial procurement and other deals done between 2012 and 2015. However, Section 8 of NAMA Act stipulates how Managing Director can be appointed.
According to the Act, “There shall be for the Agency, a Managing Director who shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the minister and on such terms and conditions as may be specified in his letter of appointment or as may be determined, from time to time, by the Government of the Federation.”
“The Managing Director shall be the chief executive and accounting officer of the agency; responsible to the Board for the day-to-day administration of the Agency; appointed for a term of five years in the first instance and may be re-appointed for a further term of five years subject to satisfactory performance; a person who possesses relevant and adequate professional qualifications in a senior management cadre and shall have been so qualified for a period of not less than fifteen years.”
They were also piqued that Akangson joined the agency in 2012, after he left his position in one of the commercial Banks.
The groups are worried that the situation may compromise safety, calling on the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to as a matter of urgency, intervene by appointing a substantive managing director before the leadership crisis gets out of hand .
“The huge financial scandal involving the management of NAMA is overwhelming for anybody to think he can come back to that office.” The group argued that the organisation requires a substantive managing director, who will immediately re- organise and reposition the agency for the urgently needed service delivery.
The Unions reminded the authorities that last year and in 2014, they complained about poor state of communication equipment and other navigational facilities in the country’s airspace due to “corrupt practices in NAMA”, but that the previous government did not address these issues.
The EFCC last week arrested four top officials of the agency which include: Managing Director, Ibrahim Abdulsalam; Director of Finance and Accounts, Mrs. Clara Aliche; Acting Director of Procurement, Muyiwa Adegoroye; General Manager (Finance) Nurudeen Segun Agbolade and Project Manager, Felicia Agubata for alleged N5 billion fraud.
