Palpable anxiety has enveloped the aviation industry following a
directive issued by the Minster of Aviation, Hadi Sirika requesting them
to relocate the corporate headquarters of all agencies and parastatals
under its watch to the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Abuja in the
next 45 days.
The development , which came as a huge surprise to many industry
experts is a reenecting of the botched Presidential Directive issued in
2012.
With this directive, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace
Management Agency (NAMA), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigerian
Meteorological Agency (NiMET) are expected to relocate within the given
time frame.
In a letter dated 4th May 2020 from the Ministry FMA/PMD/7061/T/4
signed on behalf of the Minister of Aviation by the director, Human
Resource Management Muhammad Shehu hinged the decision on the current
global economic situation and the need to reduce the cost of governance
The letter titled: Relocation of Aviation Agencies to Abuja read: “ I
am directed to remind you of a Presidential directive issued in 2012
requesting all agencies under the Ministry of Aviation to relocate their
corporate headquarters to the Federal Capital Territory ( Abuja ) for
efficient and effective coordination and enhanced service delivery and
note that eight (8) years after the directive, the agencies are yet to
comply.
“Accordingly, considering the current situation and the economic
impact worldwide as well as the need to reduce the cost of governance
and manage scarce resources in a sustainable way, it has become
imperative and further to the Minister’s directive (Copy attached) to
request that you facilitate and complete the relocation of your
corporate headquarters within the next forty five (45) days in line with
this earlier directive.
An endorsed copy received by FAAN’s Laison Office in Abuja on May 06,
2020 directed all directors to coordinate effective mobilization to
achieve the directive on time on its meeting agenda for the week after,
In a related development, unions in the sector have written a
petition to Sirika urging him to promptly intervene in the
recommendations of the Oronsaye Report proposing the merger of NAMA,
NCAA and NIMET into the Federal Civil Aviation Administration .
In a jointly signed letter, the National Association of Aircraft
Pilots and Engineers ( NAAPE) , Air Transport Services Senior Staff
Association ( ATSSSAN ) and Association of Nigerian Aviation
Professionals ( ANAP) , they appealed to the minster to prevent the
destruction of the air transport industry with the execution of the
Oronsaye Report portends for the industry.
In the petition dated 13th May 2030, they described as anachronistic
the recommendations that dared to merge service providers agencies with
their regulators .
The unions described as sickening any plans to merger NAMA and NIMET with NCAA .
They argued that government should not uphold the recommendations
because such merger service providers with regulators will put the
merged entity in a position of conflict of interest .
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