How EFCC reports that nailed many Directors in Ministry of Aviation

State Correspondent 

Fresh facts have emerged on why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo on Wednesday and Thursday, sacked all the directors in the aviation sector of the country, in spite of the fact that most of them still have some years remaining on their tenures.

It was gathered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which had been probing about 50  directors, escalated the sack of the directors after it submitted its reports to the Presidency.

According to Saturday Times, it was gathered that the report shocked President Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation, who after weeks of going through the reports, decided to sack the directors.

EFCC sources stated that the ex-directors are to face prosecution following their alleged mismanagement of billions of naira meant for the development of infrastructure at the nation’s major airports during the administrations President Mohammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan.

Investigations revealed that trouble started with the directors following several petitions submitted by the stakeholders, especially some aviation unions and Civil Society Organisations, (CSOs) calling for the probe of the sector after the failed national carrier imbroglio.

The anti-graft agency started the probe towards the end of ex-President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration, when the past minister, Hadi Sirika, launched a national carrier at the twilight of his tenure.

Further enquiries revealed that billions were coughed out for the national carrier but the directors allegedly misappr opriatedthe funds and hastily brought an old Ethiopian airline aircraft to fly as Nigeria’s airline.

At the resumption of President Tinubu’s administration, the EFCC submitted the reports of their probe and the arrest of some directors, who were later granted bail on self-recognition, was effected. Some are said to be reporting at the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC for their grilling periodically.

Media investigation gathered that some of the directors have been returning their looted funds and cooperating with the EFCC, in their probe.

According to EFCC sources, the directors have returned huge amount of money running into billions of naira to the federal government adding that some of them are still undergoing interrogation.

Earlier this year, the EFCC had summoned the immediate past minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to appear before it over the controversial Nigeria Air project, which he said had gulped N3 billion.

The anti-graft agency was investigating the N3 billion seen as wasted into the project though some stakeholders insisted that over N80 billion was expended on the project.

The EFCC also questioned officials of Nigerian Air over the recent launch of the airline in Abuja.

“We have already questioned some officials of Nigerian Air and we invited the former Aviation minister”, the source said.

Speaking on Arise News Channel interview, Sirika said that the landing of the Ethiopian aircraft in Abuja was “a marketing strategy.”

However, President Tinubu on Wednesday appointed new directors for FAAN, NAMA, NCAA, NSIB, and two others in Aviation, Aerospace Sector.

According to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the appointment and sacking of the directors were efforts of his administration to bring sanity and world-class standards to aviation.

He said he approved the appointment of new directors in the aviation sector and sacked old ones.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement issued Wednesday, December 13, 2023, in Abuja, FCT, said President Tinubu effected the leadership changes in the affected agencies adding that the President Tinubu approved the suspension, removal, and replacement of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) under the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

According to him, the new leadership across this critical sector of the Nigerian economy would uphold the safety, convenience, and comfort of Nigerian air travellers as ‘primary and sacrosanct’ in all of their administrative activities, Presidential Spokesman, said in a statement.

Recall that on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, President Tinubu led administration made some changes as follows: Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed, Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), was replaced with Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku as the substantive Managing Director of FAAN.

Mr. Tayib Adetunji Odunowo, Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), was sacked from office and replaced with Engr. Umar Ahmed Farouk as the substantive Managing Director of NAMA.

Engr. Akinola Olateru, Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), was replaced with Mr. Alex Badeh Jr. as the substantive Director-General of NSIB.

Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), was removed from office and replaced with Prof. Charles Anosike, as the substantive Director-General of NIMET.

Captain Alkali Mahmud Modibbo, Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, in Kaduna State, was 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.

Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu, Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), was 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 NCAA.

The statement said subsequently, Capt. Chris Najomo would assume office as the Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority immediately.

Ngelale explained that President Bola Tinubu approved the commencement of a diligent process to be conducted by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to recruit a substantive Vice-Chancellor and other Principal Officers of the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU).

Source: Daily Times