…By Dorcas Funmi for TDPel Media. President Muhammadu Buhari, through Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, has made a significant move just hours before the end of his administration by constituting the boards of aviation agencies that have long been without proper boards.
For years, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have operated without functioning boards, despite statutory requirements.
Stakeholders in the aviation industry have repeatedly criticized the previous Aviation Minister for the absence of these boards, which are mandated by the Acts establishing the agencies.
This failure to comply with legal requirements has drawn widespread condemnation.
It was revealed that the boards were initially constituted during President Buhari’s first term but were never inaugurated due to discrepancies in their composition that did not align with the Acts establishing the agencies.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Aviation on Sunday, it was announced that President Buhari has now approved the composition of the boards.
The statement outlined the chairpersons and members of each board, including their institutional representations.
The newly constituted boards include Mr. Lai Are as the Chairman of NCAA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu as the Chairman of FAAN, Captain Bashir Sodangi as the Chairman of NAMA, Engr. Ezekiel Danboyi Zang as the Chairman of NSIB, and Dr. Imoro Kubor as the Chairman of NiMet.
The Ministry emphasized that these newly constituted boards align with the recently promulgated Acts of the Agencies.
The President hopes that the appointed members, with their institutional affiliations, will contribute to the growth and development of the aviation sector as a new administration takes over.
This last-minute action by President Buhari aims to address the longstanding issue of inactive boards in the aviation agencies and ensure proper governance and oversight in the sector.