The choice of who will serve as the aviation regulatory agency’s substantive director-general has caused unrest within the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s management and employees as well as in the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
There has been unrest within the NCAA over the past six months, due to a leadership tussle between Captain Musa Nuhu, who was appointed substantive director-general of the NCAA by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, and Captain Chris Najomo, who was appointed as acting DG of the agency by President Bola Tinubu in January 2024, according to the Punch.
Nuhu, a pilot, safety specialist, lead auditor for quality assurance, and expert in artificial intelligence, served as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization before his appointment.
Nuhu had held positions with Petrowest, Aero Contractors, and the now-defunct Nigeria Airways, among others.
He was a captain and safety officer in the Presidential Air Fleet, and he has an MSc in Aviation Business from Concordia University. Additionally, he graduated from the University of Southern California with a diploma in aviation safety.
The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development had announced that Nuhu would be suspended from his position as the DG of the NCAA due to suspected unethical behaviour.
The ministry noted in a statement that Nuhu will be turned over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for additional investigation.
Subsequently, Najomo was appointed in an acting capacity by the ministry for six months.
However, an update on his investigation had not been released to the public six months after the suspension.
Efforts to obtain the official investigation status from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful, as he didn’t return numerous calls or texts regarding the issue.
A senior NCAA staff, who pleaded anonymity out of concern for punishment, expressed doubt that Nuhu was involved in any fraudulent activity.
“He was only in his travail because the minister must install loyal lieutenants in the agencies under his office, one of which was the NCAA,” the source stated.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that Nuhu’s refusal to step down six months after his suspension from office had been impeding the effort to confirm Najomo as a substantive director general.
Commenting, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation, Tunde Moshood, assured that the ministry would do the necessary thing.
“The real expiration is still in a few days and the next thing will be done, that you can be assured of. The minister has been away for a while; he just returned and I know he will act as appropriate,” he noted.
Part IV of the NCAA Act 2022 stated, “The Director-General of Civil Aviation could only be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the minister, subject to confirmation by the Senate.”
The Act further stated that the director-general may be reappointed for an additional five-year term after being initially appointed for a term of five years.
The agency is divided as a result of the leadership struggle in the NCAA; although some people thought Nuhu’s removal was unfair, others supported the interim DG and hoped he would be confirmed as a substantive DG.
