The relocation of all aviation agencies’ headquarters from Lagos to Abuja has been described as a misnomer by a stakeholder in the industry.
The former General Manager (GM) of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Alhaji Abubakar Bibi said that aviation agencies had no business in moving their headquarters to Abuja.
According to Bibi, Lagos will always remain the hub of aviation business in Nigeria as the bulk of activities in the industry happens in the state.
It would be recalled that the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika had ordered the forceful relocation of aviation agencies’ headquarters to Abuja from Lagos.
Bibi, however, wonders why Sirika would do such a thing, declaring that the policy must be changed immediately, maintaining that the agencies had no business in Abuja.
“From my own personal opinion, I don’t think FAAN has any business to do in Abuja as headquarters because Lagos is where a chunk of the revenues come from. Why will you relocate them to Abuja? What for?,” he told the Daily Independent.
“So, the new administration has to overhaul the entire system. Most of the appointments made were to cover up from certain issues,” Bibi stressed.
Bibi who before his retirement from service a few years ago was the Ilorin International Airport Terminal Manager charged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse the policy.
He also called on Tinubu to reverse some other decisions taken by the erstwhile minister of aviation in the twilight of the past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that most of the actions of Sirika set the industry back.
Apart from the reversal of the relocation of the aviation agencies to Abuja, Bibi also canvassed for the nullification of some of the last-minute appointments in the sector by Sirika.
He regretted that most of the actions or decisions of Sirika setback the sector and should not be allowed to go unchecked by the new government of President Tinubu.
“The former minister has succeeded in destroying the aviation industry. How can you make appointments of board members the day you were leaving office after spending eight years without boards?” Bibi asked.
“Imagine the appointments were announced on the day of the inauguration of a new government.
“So, the new administration has to overhaul the entire system. Most of the appointments made were to cover up from certain issues.”
