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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the renaming of 15 airports across the country after some prominent Nigerians.
A statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Affairs in the Ministry of Aviation, Odutayo Oluseyi, said the approval was given on Friday.
The airports include Akure International Airport named after Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu; Benin International Airport, now known as Oba Akinzua II; Dutse International Airport renamed Muhammed Nuhu Sanusi; Ebonyi International Airport now known as Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo and Gombe International Airport renamed Brigadier Zakari Maimalari.
They also include Ibadan International Airport (Samuel Ladoke Akintola); Ilorin International Airport (General Tunde Abdullahi Idiagbon); Kaduna International Airport (Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina) and Maiduguri International Airport (President Muhammadu Buhari).
Others are Makurdi International Airport renamed after Joseph Sarwuan Tarka; Minna International Airport renamed Mall. Abubakar Imam; Nasarawa International Airport named after Sheikh Usman Danfodio; Osubi International Airport renamed Alfred Diete Spiff; Port Harcourt International Airport renamed Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo and Yola International Airport now known as Lamido Aliyu Mustapha Airport.
Buhari constitutes boards of aviation agencies hours to leave office
Meanwhile, with less than 24 hours to the end of his administration, President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted the boards of aviation agencies.
This was coming after almost a decade of running the agencies without boards
The agencies include the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the recently created Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
A statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Affairs in the Ministry of Aviation, Odutayo Oluseyi, said that NCAA is chaired by Mr. Lai Are with two institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation and Defence.
FAAN would be chaired by Capt. Fola Akinkuotu ,with five institutional members representing the Ministries of Aviation, Defence, Justice, Tourism and NCAT while Capt. Mukhtar Aminu and Mr. Chris Aligbe are members.
NAMA has Capt. Bashir Sodangi as Chairman with four institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation, Communications and Digital Economy, Transportation and Nigerian Air Force as well as two other members to represent public interest. They are Mr. Richard Aisuegbon and Suleiman Balarabe Ismail.
NSIB would be chaired by Engr. Ezekiel Danboyi Zang with six other members including Engr. Suraj Abdulwahab, Engr. Ita Awak, Mall. Nasiru Anas, Alhaji Sani Maida, Engr. Pantani Esugo and Lawrence Fubara Anga (SAN).
Dr. Imoro Kubor is to chair the NiMet Board with four institutional members representing Ministries of Aviation, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Environment and Transportation. Dr. Adebayo Yinka and Prof. Aliyu Umar Tambuwal are members.
NCAT would be chaired by Capt. Jonathan Ibrahim with institutional members which include Ministry of Aviation, NCAA, Nigeria’s ICAO representative; Representative of the aviation sector, Engr. Bashir Saad; Hajia Binta Aminu Iya representing community; Representative of the College elected from the congregation who should be a non-teaching staff and the college registrar.
“It should be noted that, in line with the recently promulgated and gazetted Acts of the Agencies, membership of their Boards are mostly institutional representations. The President therefore considered the requirements in approving the memberships and hopes that they will play the necessary roles in furthering the development of the sector as a new administration takes over,”the statement added.
