Critical stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry have bemoaned the over-bloated directorates created by the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in the department and agencies in the sector.
The stakeholders said, the appointment by the minister is counter productive to the development and survival of the already burdened sector.
LEADERSHIP reports that the minister, Keyamo in December, 2023, appointed 47 new directors, after sacking the one appointed at the twilight of the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
The agencies whose directors were replaced are: the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET); Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
However, the appointment of 47 directors by the current administration were against the 36 that were appointed by the last administration, making stakeholders furious, statin* that, the new directorates will add more financial, bureaucratic pressure on the sector.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the secretary general, Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI), Olumide Ohunayo, said the over-bloated appointment will affect the finances of the agencies. He also argued that the current administration instead of deviating from the mistake of the last administration improved on it by creating more directorates.
“While I commended the appointment of the agency’s heads, I have my fear that we are returning to the problems of the past in the directorship cadre. Having 47 directors has gone beyond what the past administration did and having too many directors will affect the efficient running of these agencies and that has made me say I don’t see a bright future in the sector except the private sector led initiatives are able to do something spectacular. I am not happy with the appointment of the directors, as it will affect the finances of these agencies.
“Following the same pattern of the last administration, the current administration also pushes appointments to the general managers. They are also bringing young ladies in to take the GM position and other positions in the agencies. How do you solve the multiple problems you are expected to solve when you are adding more to it. That has brought a lot of fear.
“There is no way we can take Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in isolation from agencies that should implement part of it. The KPIs are there, the dreams and aspirations are there but it is effective implementation that’s the challenge because they have towed pattern of the immediate past administration and they are trying to beat it with some decisions seen so far and there must be a halt to see how good the year can be,” he pointed out.
He also alleged that the directors brought in their personal aides outside agencies and are drawing salaries from the agencies’ accounts.
“Moreso, some of the directors against the civil service procedures brought in their aides that will be on salaries from the agencies couples with them asking for official cars and asking for cars for those aides, why are we doing this to ourselves? He asked. He continued, “I thought we are supposed to be bringing down costs in the renewed hope era,” he stated.
“Some directorates were created by the former minister, Sen. Hadi Sirika, barely a day to the end of the last administration to give position to his friends and supporters of the failed Nigerian Air. We are expecting that after changing the agencies heads, the new minister will allow the GMs to continue to act pending when there would be staff audit and restructuring but, rather than do that, he was eager to help his friends and campaigners by bringing in people and creating more directorates.
“For instance, look at the director of special duties created from nowhere in the NCAA. He created a directorate that would be headed by a GM, supported by an AGM, and all the way down and the government is telling us NCAA is a cost recovery organisation. At the rate the government is adding more pressure through monthly salary and emolument of the directorates, the agencies will be looking for revenue from the airlines and the airlines will be under pressure and from there, they will add more pressure on the passengers,” he stated.
Also speaking, a former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), said the creation of an additional directorate by the Minister has no benefit for the sector or the nation at large.
“What is the rational or the economic sense in the increase from 30/36 to 47? If it is not jobs for the boys and draining pipes for the political office holders within and for those outside, then what is it?,” he asked.
“Is it not these agencies that the federal government wants to be remitting 50 per cent and 100 per cent to the Federation Account and the same agencies they are now loading with blocks? We are watching. Aviation is now one of the fat cows of the government,” he added.
Ojikutu, also the chief executive officer, Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, questioned the level of background intelligence government carried out on the newly appointed directors asking how far they know the industry.
According to him, crowding of the directorates from 30/36 to 47 was to create jobs for the boys and drain pipes for the nation and country.
“All these are occurring within how many days in office? What is the amount of background checks done on these characters before they were recommended for the public appointment?” He continued, “First, we need to find out the function and expected result of each directorate. Secondly, how much revenue does the government expect from each agency as against what they were making before? What was the personnel overhead cost before and what would it become now? The crowding of the directorates from about 30/36 they were before now to 47 is nothing but to create jobs for the boys and draining pipes for the political office holders in the administration of the government and the ministry of aviation. Nothing beneficial to the citizens,” he stated.
When contacted, the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the stakeholders should list new directorates created.
The minister said: “Before we respond, can they list the additional directorates created to see if it justified the figure they have mentioned?”
Also speaking to LEADERSHIP, the spokesman of the minister, Tunde Moshood, said the directorates were increased to block revenue leakages.
He, however, called on aviation stakeholders to give the minister a minimum of one year to turn the fortunes of the sector around.
“We all know what is happening at the cargo sides, we all know everything but the Stakeholders shouldn’t worry about anything, we know what to do. For instance, will it be better that the directorate is 35 and we are generating N100 and out of the money generated, N60 is being syphoned? or should we have more directorates that will help block those pipes and get results? It’s the result we need. Criticism is good but they should give the minister some time, they should give it till December to see his performance,” he stated.