A former General Manager (GM) of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Alhaji Abubakar Bibi has described the relocation of all aviation agencies’ headquarters from Lagos to Abuja as ill-advised.
According to Bibi, the aviation agencies had no business in moving their headquarters to Abuja as Lagos will always remain the hub of aviation business in Nigeria.
Recall that the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika had ordered the forceful relocation of aviation agencies’ headquarters to Abuja from Lagos.
However, Bibi questioned Sirika’s decision and declared that the policy must be changed immediately, maintaining that the agencies had no business in Abuja as the bulk of activities in the industry happens in Lagos.
“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, however, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse the policy and some other decisions taken by the erstwhile minister of aviation in the twilight of the past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former GM also posits that most of the actions of Sirika set the industry back and also begged Tinubu to nullify some last-minute appointments made by Sirika.
“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.”
