The director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, on Thursday, explained how Nigeria was able to score a pass mark, 71.04 per cent during the recently concluded International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Universal Security Audit Programme-Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA) at the nation’s airports.
In a press statement made available to LEADERSHIP, Achimugu, attributed the success to the doggedness and painstaking efforts of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN) and the Acting Director General Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo.
According to Achimugu, the minister and the acting DG of NCAA, mobilised manpower and resources to ensure that all open gaps were closed.
He, however, disclosed that if not for their interventions Nigeria would have scored 30 per cent in the final outcome because of some infrastructural gap and low morale of the workers.
Achimugu said, “Six months ago, we met a dilapidated industry with poor infrastructure. The security and safety issues did not start in the last six months. Had it not been for the tireless efforts of the minister and the DGCA, what we met on the ground would not have scored 30 per cent in the audit.”
“Going by what was on the ground when Keyamo and Najomo assumed office, the current score is a substantially good showing, a miracle if I must say. The narrative being pushed out is just part of the larger strategy to push out Keyamo and Najomo from office. It is the handwork of paid mercenaries who have just one task.”
“The ICAO auditors praised our performance during their final briefing at the NCAA.
They even mentioned a scenario where they complained about an absent infrastructure but, to their pleasant surprise, it had been made available the very next day! They said that only Nigeria moves at such a pace in the face of criticism. If the ICAO experts were pleased, who are these experts to try to deceive the people?” he asked rhetorically.
The NCAA spokesman described as mischievous comments by commentators that both the Minister and DG, CAA were responsible for the allegedly poor ratings the country achieved.
He further affirmed that both came into office barely months ago and went to work immediately to improve on the deteriorating infrastructures and poor remuneration of workers they met on ground.
“We have actual Intel about a media team being commissioned to cause continuous chaos until Keyamo is either removed or moved elsewhere because certain people want to take back ownership of the contracts they were busy allocating themselves and family members while critical infrastructure was growing dilapidated. We will resist every attempt to deceive the Nigerian people,” he added.
He continued, “Keyamo spent his first six months unbundling the rot in the system. Sadly, the rot runs so deep that six months are not enough to scratch the surface. They know this and it is why they are relentless in their fight. But the minister and this NCAA will do everything to sanitise aviation. We are working and it is evident,” he stated.