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Buhari constitutes board for aviation agencies, renames airports
Outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the renaming of 15 airports after some prominent Nigerians.
The approval, according to a statement from the Ministry of Aviation signed by the Head of Press and Public Affairs, Odutayo Oluseyi, was given on Friday.
The airports include Akure International Airport named after Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu; Benin International Airport now known as Oba Akinzua ii; Dutse International Airport renamed Muhammed Nuhu Sanusi; Ebonyi International Airport Okadigbo now known as Chuba Wilberforce; and Gombe International Airport renamed Brigadier Zakari Maimalari.
They also include Ibadan International Airport (Samuel Ladoke Akintola); Ilorin International Airport (General Tunde Abdullahi Idiagbon); Kaduna International Airport (Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina); and Maiduguri International Airport (President Muhammadu Buhari).
Others are Makurdi International Airport renamed after Joseph Sarwuan Tarka; Minna International Airport renamed Mall. Abubakar Imam; Nasarrawa International Airport named after Sheikh Usman Danfodio; Osubi International Airport renamed Alfred Diete Spiff; Port Harcourt International Airport renamed Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo and Yola International Airport now known as Lamido Aliyu Mustapha Airport.
Similarly, few hours before the exit of his administration, President has also constituted the boards of aviation agencies.
The President also renamed some of the country’s airports after the past leaders, including Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
The approval of boards for the agencies is coming over a decade of running the agencies without boards, starting from the days of Sen. Stella Oduah as a minister in the sector.
The agencies include 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 recently created Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
Stakeholders have consistently criticized Sen. Hadi Sirika, the former Aviation Minister for running the agencies without statutory boards as stipulated by the Acts establishing them.
A statement signed by Mr. Oluseyi Odutayo, Head of Press and Public Affairs Ministry of Aviation, indicated that NCAA is chaired by Mr. Lai Are with two institutional members representing the Ministries of Aviation and Defence.
FAAN would be chaired by Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, the former Managing Director of NAMA with five institutional members representing the Ministries of Aviation, Defence, Justice and Tourism and NCAT while Capt. Mukhtar Aminu and Mr. Chris Aligbe are members.
NAMA has Capt. Bashir Sodangi as Chairman with four institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation, Communications and Digital Economy, Transportation and Nigerian Air Force as well as two other members to represent public interest. They are Mr. Richard Aisuegbon and Suleiman Balarabe Ismail.
NSIB would be chaired by Engr. Ezekiel Danboyi Zang with six other members including Engr. Suraj Abdulwahab, Engr. Ita Awak, Mall. Nasiru Anas, Alhaji Sani Maida, Engr. Pantani Esugo and Lawrence Fubara Anga, SAN.
Dr. Imoro Kubor is to chair the NiMet Board with four institutional members representing the Ministries of Aviation, Agriculture and Natural, Resources, Environment and Transportation with Dr. Adebayo Yinka and Prof. Aliyu Umar Tambuwal as members.
Also, NCAT would be chaired by Capt. Jonathan Ibrahim with institutional members, which include the Ministry of Aviation, NCAA, Nigeria’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) representative; representative of the aviation sector, Engr. Bashir Saad; Hajia Binta Aminu Iya representing the community; Representative of the College elected from the congregation who should be a non-teaching staff and the college registrar.
The statement added, “It should be noted that, in line with the recently promulgated and gazetted Acts of the Agencies, membership of their Boards are mostly institutional representations. The President, therefore, considered the requirements in approving the memberships and hopes that they will play the necessary roles in furthering the development of the sector as a new administration takes over.”
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