•Renames 15 airports after prominent Nigerians
By Chinelo Obogo
Eight years after operating without boards, President Muhammadu Buhari through the outgoing Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, constituted the boards of aviation agencies few hours to the end of his administration.
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).
A statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Affairs in the Ministry, Odutayo Oluseyi indicated that NCAA is chaired by Mr. Lai Are with two institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation and Defence.
FAAN would be chaired by Capt. Fola Akinkuotu 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 Ezekiel Danboyi Zang with six other members including Suraj Abdulwahab, Ita Awak, Mall. Nasiru Anas, Sani Maida, Pantani Esugo and Lawrence Fubara Anga, SAN.
Dr. Imoro Kubor is to chair the NiMet Board with four institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation, Agriculture and Natural, Resources, Environment and Transportation with Dr. Adebayo Yinka and Prof. Aliyu Umar Tambuwal as members.
NCAT would be chaired by Capt. Jonathan Ibrahim with institutional members which include Ministry of Aviation, NCAA, Nigeria’s ICAO representative; Representative of the aviation sector, Bashir Saad; Binta Aminu Iya representing 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.”
The Federal Government since the inception of the present administration has failed to inaugurate boards of six agencies in the industry despite constituting them in the first tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari with Sirika stating that the composition of the boards was not in line with the Acts establishing the agencies bit refused to replaced them with appropriate member since then.
Airports have also been renamed. Akure International Airport is now named after Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu; Benin International Airport is now known as Oba Akinzua II; Dutse International Airport renamed Muhammed Nuhu Sanusi, Ebonyi International Airport is now known as Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo Airport; and Gombe International Airport renamed Brigadier Zakari Maimalari.
Ibadan International Airport is renamed after Samuel Ladoke Akintola; Ilorin International Airport named General Tunde Abdullahi Idiagbon; Kaduna International Airport (Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina); and Maiduguri International Airport named after 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.