The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu has said that Festus Keyamo the Minister of aviation and aerospace development, and Chris Najomo, Acting Director of General Civil Aviation were pivotal to Nigeria’s 71.04 per cent score during the recently concluded International Civil Aviation Organization conducted Universal Security Audit Programme-Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA) in the country’s aviation industry.
He affirmed that the two played a crucial role in the ICAO’s 71.04% rating as a result of their leadership skills and dexterity in mobilizing men and resources to ensure all open gaps were addressed; otherwise, Nigeria would have scored 30% in the outcome, according to Businessday.
The NCAA spokesman denounced as ridiculous claims by pundits that both the Minister and DG of CAA were accountable for the purportedly terrible ratings the country received, insisting that both arrived into office just months ago and had to work immediately to improve on the deteriorating.
He said “Six months ago, we met a dilapidated industry with poor infrastructure. The security and safety issues did not start in the last six months. Had it not been for the tireless efforts of the Honourable Minister and the DGCA, what we met on the ground would not have scored 30% in the audit.
“Going by what was on the ground when Keyamo and Najomo assumed office, the current score is a substantially good showing, a miracle if I must say. The narrative being pushed out is just part of the larger strategy to push out Keyamo and Najomo from office. It is the handwork of paid mercenaries who have just one task.”
He said that the ICAO auditors applauded the authority’s work during their final briefing at the NCAA, mentioning a scenario in which they complained about missing infrastructure but, to their astonishment, it was made available the very next day.
“We have actual Intel about a media team being commissioned to cause continuous chaos until Keyamo is either removed or moved elsewhere because certain people want to take back ownership of the contracts they were busy allocating themselves and family members while critical infrastructure was growing dilapidated.
“We will resist every attempt to deceive the Nigerian people,” the Director explained.
