Stakeholders Warns Against Selfish Lobbying For Aviation Minister Position

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

Ruth Bamidele, Lagos

President of Aviation Roundtable, Captain Dele Ore has warned against the use of the open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan as an avenue by some self-seeking experts to advance their selfish desire to lobby for the position of aviation minister.

Nigeria’s former Embattled Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah

According to him, “Our letter is now fraudulently being used to promote the interest of people agitating to be appointed as Minister, but we considered the people being paraded in connections with our letter are not honourable enough for such highly exalted office because they are not fit and proper as well.”

“Now that aviation has a supervising minister he should be allowed to clear the mess left behind at the Ministry of Aviation by Princess Stella Oduah. The so called aviation professionals clamouring to be appointed to replace her are being sponsored to cover the tracks of our dear Princess Stella.

Documents being brandished as the industry clamour were fraudulently being used for this ulterior motive because at no time have we got to a stage where names are being suggested.” He said.

He added that the letter to the President that was jointly signed was a genuine call for the appointment of an industry expert as the Minister of Aviation was a genuine call that have been made over the years.

Lending his voice to this development, Captain Nogie Meggison restated his position on account of people emanating from some circles that some persons are capitalizing on the open letter sent to President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint a technocrat as minister to lobby for themselves .

Meggison said as much as stakeholders have resolved that a technocrat should be appointed as aviation minister, but not some industry players or head of aviation agencies that have misled previous aviation ministers, who are using their positions to lobby for the position of aviation minister, without the requisite capacity and track record for the position.

He said the industry has some seasoned industry technocrats not limited to the following: Captain Dapo Olumide, former managing director of Air Nigeria; and deputy managing director, Aero contractors , and is currently financial consultant with African Finance Corporation.

Captain Kiddy Dare, former logistics director ExxonMobil, and former director of operations at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Captain Ibrahim Seidu , managing director , Kabo Air, Captain Ibrahim Mshelia , rector, Mish Aviation Flying School, Acccra, he is also managing director of Westlink Airlines.

Captain Adebayo Araba, former rector, Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Engineer Folashade Odutola, also former rector at NCAT, ex- director of airworthiness standards, NCAA, as well as Nigeria’s representative in ICAO.