4 hours Ago By Olusegun Koiki
LAGOS – Aviation expert as berated the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for canvassing for confirmation of Capt. Chris Najomo as the substantive Director-General Civil Aviation (ADGCA). This is as our correspondent learnt that no fewer than five aviation professionals, including a staff of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) are canvassing for the position of Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Mr. Charles Amokwu, aviation analyst, in an interview with our correspondent over the weekend, described the call for the confirmation as Najomo as the substantive Director-General of Civil Aviation as “conflicts of interest.” According to Amokwu, the office of the DGCA was supposed to be a professional position and not political, warning that such a call may ridicule the country’s aviation industry in the comity of nations.
He also said that such open lobbying negated the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Working Paper Assembly – 39 th Session Resolution XX, which kicked against conflicts of interests. Amokwu said: “Where in the world do operators determine who their regulator is going to be? That’s an open conflict of interests. If Najomo’s name is sent to the President, the President approves, he submits his name to the Senate for an approval, and he sails through, what is he going to give them in return for getting him the job? “The office of the DG is supposed to be a professional position, not political as we are seeing it now.
You can go behind to lobby, not openly. There is an ICAO paper on the issue of conflict of interest and regulatory affairs of state. This is a direct conflict of interest and this would put Nigeria in a bad state in the international community.
“What we need to understand is that a nation doesn’t exist in isolation. Aviation is international and every country must comply with international standards and recommended practices. This is completely from the recommendation of ICAO.
If they want to lobby, let them do it discreetly and not brazenly as they are going about it. Nigeria is a member of ICAO and we must comply with what ICAO is doing.” Meanwhile, no fewer than five industry experts, including some staff of NCAA are lobbying to be appointed as the substantive DGCA when the position is vacant next year.
Our correspondent learnt that apart from Capt. Chris Najomo, the Acting DGCA, five others are lobbying to be appointed as the substantive DG for the agency. Some of those lobbyists include a staff in the Directorate of Operations, Licensing, and Training Standards (DOLTS), NCAA, while no fewer than two senior staff of indigenous airlines are also seeking the same position.
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