Despite Several Moves to Defend His Action, Criticisms Trail Aviation Minister’s Last Minute Appointments

Players in the aviation industry have excoriated the last minute appointments of the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, for removing top aviation agency functionaries and replacing them with others.

While many who criticised his action said he failed to follow due process, they also said he should have allowed the in-coming government to appoint those it can work with in line with what will be the focus in the aviation industry.

Defending his action, Sirika however said he received approval from President Muhammadu Buhari for all the appointments he made.

Some stakeholders also criticised what they referred to as the appointment of non-professionals even though some of the appointments made, were from those who have worked in the industry for decades that are seasoned with invaluable experience.

The President/CEO of Top Brass Aviation Limited, Captain Roland Iyayi, described the appointment as blackmail against the in-coming administration, which he said, would incur the wrath of the industry if it decided to remove those last minute appointments, saying that Sirika’s action was corrupt and unethical. He also alleged that he appointed his aides who worked with him over the years he served as the Minister of Aviation.

“He is simply blackmailing the in-coming administration. He wants to create problem for them with those appointments. He decided to compensate his aides by appointing them in those positions and went as far as creating new positions to accommodate them. In doing so, he has disenfranchised the professionals in the aviation agencies who have put up to 30 years in service. He put his cronies in all the agencies. They should be resisted. He has created problems for his successor. He wanted to tarnish the image of the in-coming Minister of Aviation. He will be seen as a very bad person when he wants to make any changes in the appointments he has made,” Iyayi said.

Industry expert and the General Secretary of Aviation Round Table (ART), Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), said Sirika’s action would not make any sense to the in-coming administration and advised some of those appointed not to rest well in their new job because it would be ephemeral.

“It makes no reasonable sense for the incoming administration to accept all the appointments made by Sirika at quarter to go. I can only advise most of them, especially those appointed from the by-pass not to sit with the two slashes of their bottom. There will be reverse of many. Aviation is not road transportation. Without qualifications at any level of it, it makes no sense to be elevated to the level of General Manager. I think this is the worst we have ever seen in the industry. Before this man came in, we were under the Transport Ministry and there was so much complain about staff strength and structure that has made the agencies not to run efficiently; and he promised to restructure or call a committee to look into it and resolve those issues so that the agencies can be a bit lean, have better remuneration and reduction in union conflicts,” Ojikutu said.

Head of Business Development, Zenith Travels and the spokesman of Aviation Round Table (ART), Olu Ohunayo, said that Sirika first moved Aviation from the Ministry of Transportation and made it a stand-alone ministry, which gave him the power to bypass and not