Business
Stakeholders Express Shock Over Demuren’s Sack
Aviation stakeholders yesterday in Abuja expressed shock on the removal of Dr Harold Demuren as Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
President Goodluck Jonathan had on Monday through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) approved the removal of Demuren from office.
The Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation, Mr Joe Obi, told newsmen that the action was sudden.
“The sack was not from us, we got to know through the letter from the SGF and we are still waiting for the announcement of the new person through the same medium,’’ Obi said.
Reacting, Comrade the Head of Medium Term Sector Strategies, an aviation union, Saidu Abdulrasaq, described Demuren’s removal as untimely.
Abdulrasaq said that the Federal Government did not give any satisfactory reason to warrant the sack, adding that he was not satisfied with the way Demuren was removed.
“The government did not show any reason to warrant his sack, not that he was indicted by the National Assembly over the report of the DANA plane crash or any other indictment.
“Although, the reason is between the Presidency and National Assembly, maybe to settle rifts because I do not see anything that could relate Demuren to causing confusion in the sector.
“He is an aeronautical professional but the reason for his sack has not been properly communicated, but I believe it is based on political decision,’’ Abdulrasaq said.
According to him, Demuren abided by the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in discharging his duty.
The Manager of the Abuja office of Arik Airline, Mr Muhammad Abani, said that the government would have still given the former NCAA boss more time to utilise his wealth of knowledge to improve the aviation sector.
“To me, he is a professional, for quite a long time he has contributed tremendously to the growth of the sector. I don’t think someone like that should be easily disengaged.