THE Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, constitute the governing boards of aviation parastatals to give the industry a sense of belonging
Speaking on the recent appointment of governing councils of boards of universities in the country, General Secretary of ANAP, Comrade AbdulRasaq Saidu, said if the government deemed it fit to constitute the governing councils of universities, it will also be proper for the same government to inaugurate that of aviation that has long been absent for over eight years.
Saidu, who lamented how the absence of the boards has been responsible for many illegalities in the sector, added that there were decisions that ought to have been taken by the governing boards of these parastatals but were solely taken by the minister.
He said: “Most of the employments made and contracts awarded ought to have passed through the governing boards of aviation parastatals but they weren’t because there are no boards in place.
“ANAP has, times without number, raised this issue. Former president Muhammadu Buhari named some people into various boards but till the former minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, left office, nothing was done to inaugurate the boards; it died like that. Now, this administration has continued in the same way.”
Saidu, who noted that the absence of boards in the sector has led to so many unprofessional conducts by the ministry officials and politicians, explained that without constituting boards of the aviation parastatals, the ministry will continue to get it wrong in terms of employment, policies and resource management.
Calling on Tinubu to hearken to the voice of reasoning and speedily save the industry from undue pressure from the aviation ministry, Saidu added: “Due to the fact that there is no board of directors on ground, the aviation ministry has been interfering on the day to day running of the parastatals which is not supposed to be.”
According to the labour leader, the role of board of directors is in the Act that established them. He, however, pointed out that it was a deliberate act by the previous government to dissolve them so that they can have direct control of these parastatals.
