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Aviation Minister, Prof Babalola Borishade yesterday announced the immediate sack of the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr Mohammed Gambo Umar and three other directors in the parastatal.
Aviation Minister, Prof Babalola Borishade yesterday announced the immediate sack of the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr Mohammed Gambo Umar and three other directors in the parastatal.
Engr O.O Shittu, the Director of Engineering Services will act until a substantive MD is appointed.
According to a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Aviation Minister, Remi Ibitola, the restructuring was approved by President Olusegun Obasanjo in a letter with reference number PRES/99-1 dated October 7, 2005. He noted that all the appointments were handled by Messrs KPMG and AVSCOM and take immediate effect.
The letter from the Presidency also empowered the minister to carry out the implementation of the recommendations of the manpower audit carried in FAAN which identified the manning levels required to re-focus the parastatal for efficient service delivery.
Under the new arrangement, the former Director, Administration and Supplies, Alhaji Muhammed Audi, is being replaced by Alhaji Muhammad Yusuf.
The Director of Finance, Alhaji Mohammed Gulani Shuaibu, has being replaced by Mr Joseph Babatunde, while Dr Jaiye Oyedokun takes the place of Dr Gbenga Owojaiye who was the former Director of Commercial Planning and Investment. He has been posted to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria. The Director of Operations, Mr Desmond U. Onyechere, retains his position.
In a related development, a new Directorate of Aviation Security and Safety has been created with Capt Balarabe Usman (retd) heading it. Explaining the creation of the new unit, the minister said it was to upgrade the level of security at the airports in response to the challenges of global demand and the need to win the confidence of air travellers.
Also, a total of 1,909 workers hitherto starved of promotion since 2003 were elevated. They include 27 people in the Managing Director's office, 242 in. Administration and Supplies, 196 in Engineering 1,119 in Operations, 84 in Finance, and 196 in Commercial Planning and Investment.
The Minster also placed embargo on withdrawals from all accounts run by FAAN until new signatories to the accounts are re-introduced to the banks.