Aviation experts and stakeholders have expressed fears that the removal of the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA few days to the visit of Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, of the United States inspectors to Nigeria to re-certify the country’s Category-1 status, may send wrong signals to the inspectors and consequently affect the country’s chances.

The D-G of NCAA is supposed to have a tenure after being cleared by the Senate. This is to create stability in the system and allow the D-G concentrate on his job of providing safety for the delicate aviation industry.
The former DG of NCAA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu had told aviation reporters last week that “the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has once again written to inform us that they will be visiting Nigeria for a mandatory re- assessment of our Category One certification.”

“It is, however, important to make it abundantly clear that as part of the conditions attached to certification is that there will be a re-assessment of the receiving country after every three years. Towards this re-assessment, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is putting all hands on deck to ensure that the nation acquits itself very well in the impending exercise.

“To this effect, a Technical Committee has been inaugurated to provide fillip and drive all the preparation process.”
The team of American inspectors will be coming to Nigeria on 31st of March. The recertification of  Category 1 Status by FAA is a regular exercise and those countries that have not met the re-certification processes have had their certificates withdrawn.

Reacting to the sack of the DG of NCAA, the President, Aviation Roundtable, Capt. Dele Ore, said: “I actually think the removal of NCAA DG, Captain Fola Akinkuotu  is an  aberration.  I think the removal of the man shows that we have shot ourselves in the foot by that particular action. It is likely to weigh against the country in terms of the oncoming audit by the United States Federal Aviation Agency.
“The painful part of the removal of  Akinkuotu is that  Oduah   actually did not allow that man to do anything in the very few months he was DG. She tied his hands.”