FG Sacks Aviation CEOs, Directors

Less than 24 hours after the removal of all heads of aviation agencies from their offices, the Federal Government has sacked all directors of the Aviation agencies.
The government made this known in a statement signed by Odutayo Oluseyi, the spokesperson for the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in Abuja, yesterday.
The government directed the affected directors to hand over to the most senior officers in their various directorates immediately.
The statement partly read, “Following the change in the leadership of the Aviation and Aerospace Development Agencies’ CEOs and MDs aimed to reposition the Aviation industry and ensure safety and efficient air travel experience by Nigerians in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr. President, I am directed to inform all DIRECTORS of the following agencies that they have been relieved of their appointments forthwith and should hand over to the most senior officer in their various directorates with immediate effect”.
The directors of the affected agencies, which include the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Nigeria Metrological Agency, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, and Nigeria Safety and Investigation Bureau have been instructed to hand over their duties to the most senior personnel in their respective directorates without further delay.
The statement clarified that the agencies’ board secretaries and legal advisers remain unaffected by this directive.
“All affected directors have been urged to adhere strictly to the instructions provided,” Oluseyi said.
President Bola Tinubu had, on Wednesday, sacked five managing directors and Directors-General of parastatals in the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
He also suspended the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu to enable him to face an “unfettered investigation” by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
This was contained in a press statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Ajuri Ngelale, on Wednesday..
According to him, the sack is in tandem with his Renewed Hope Agenda, which is to bring world-class standards to Nigerian Civil Aviation in consumer protection and the promotion of the well-being of Nigerian passengers and the high cost of underperformance in the sector.
The affected directors include the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed; Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Mr. Tayib Adetunji Odunowo; Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Akinola Olateru; Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu’ and Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Capt. Alkali Mahmud Modibbo.
The statement partly read, “The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed, has been removed from office and replaced with Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku as the substantive Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
“Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr. Tayib Adetunji Odunowo, has been removed from office and replaced with Engr. Umar Ahmed Farouk is the substantive Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
“Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Engr. Akinola Olateru has been removed from office and replaced with Mr. Alex Badeh Jr. as the substantive Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
“Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, has been removed from office and replaced with Prof. Charles Anosike as the substantive Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
“Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Capt. Alkali Mahmud Modibbo has been removed from office and replaced with Mr. Joseph Shaka Imalighwe as the Acting Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), pending the appointment of a substantive Rector, in accordance with Section 13(2) of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Act, 2022.
“Director-General of the has been suspended from office to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct an unfettered investigation into the activities of the suspended Director-General and other senior officials in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. Capt. Chris Najomo will assume office as the acting director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority immediately”.
Tinubu further approved the commencement of a diligent process to be conducted by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to recruit a substantive Vice-Chancellor and other principal officers of the African Aviation and Aerospace University.
The President urged the new leadership across the sector to uphold the safety, convenience, and comfort of the Nigerian people as primary and sacrosanct in all of their administrative activities.