Injustice breeds more incompetence especially in a country with diverse interests and intrigues like Nigeria. The ability to balance permutations is all a manager needs to banish rancour, through an atmosphere of cordiality.
Aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, was so busy with activism that I never for once took him serious. When Gen. Muhammadu Buhari engaged the advocate as minister of State, Niger Delta Affairs, my expectations were that ‘gragra would meet katakata’.
The lawyer did not last in that office before he was redeployed to the ministry of Labour to support Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige (CNN ). You cannot dwarf the one – time Anambra State governor. Keyamo was barely audible in his capacity as minister of state.
President Bola Tinubu once joked that there were three pesky giants (read short men) around him – Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Ngige. I remember Ngige causing a bout of laughter by trying to show he was taller than the comrade.
At the Labour ministry, Keyamo was almost irrelevant as Ngige gave it back to the unionists, proving even more stubborn and unshakable. Buhari left him there to Labour for donkey years. Keyamo became more useful as an electioneering mouth piece.
It was a surprise that Tinubu found a place for Keyamo in the new dispensation. He even came as an after thought. Some of us expected him to move straight into the president’s kitchen to furnish the cabinet, with some verbosity and Freudian slips.
Chai! This Uvwie man disappointed me. Keyamo turned a new leaf, has remained quiet, carrying out a silent revolution in the Aviation ministry. I never knew he was this smart and more reformation and transformation will likely follow in due course.
Keyamo has taught our leaders capacity management through equity and Federal Character. Any interested Nigerian could dash to the Aviation ministry to blow this trumpet. There is equilibrium of ethnic nationalities under the present minister.
When Keyamo assumed office, there was no balance in leadership composition of the six Agencies under Aviation. Captain Musa Nuhu was Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Kabir Mohammed headed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) while Professor Mansur Matazu held sway at the Nigerian Meteorogical Agency (NIMET).
In December 2023, the minister tried to strike a balance and carry more Geo Political Zones along. Capt. Chris Najomo (South – South) was named DG of NCAA. Olubunmi Kuku (South – West) took over at FAAN and Prof. Charles Anosike (South – East) became NIMET boss.
Engineer Farouk Umar (North – West) assumed office as MD of NAMA. Joseph Imalighwe replaced Modibbo at NCAT and NSIB got Alex Badeh, Jnr. (North – East). The new development has restored calm all over the aviation space.
The appointments also favoured those within the agencies. Some of them had been overlooked and shoved aside for outsiders in the past. A man like Najomo, although recruited earlier in 2023 as Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, is a seasoned pilot.
I can vouch for Najomo, having enjoyed his Albarka Air flight, from Lagos to Abuja over two decades ago. As flight commander, he made me feel at home in the air, with regular briefings on locations and weather conditions, as we progressed.
The first time I saw him was in 2003. I guess the management of Slok Air wanted to have him on board as one of the pilots. We were at the Abia State Liaison Office, Victoria Island, Lagos celebrating Enyimba’s CAF Champions League victory.
Lately, Najomo worked with Arik Air as Chief Pilot before joining NCAA. I have had people who knew him from their Nigeria Airways days jump in excitement when the name Najomo was mentioned. My colleague, Banji Ola, who met him at Arik, says the pilot is tested and trusted.
At NAMA, Farouk is an insider. Having spent so many years marking time as a Director, things were so rough as promotion eluded him. There was every possibility that the next gale of retirement would sweep him out. Fortunately, Keyamo happened and now he is Managing Director.
Imalighwe does not need anyone to take him round NCAT or brief him about the working conditions. The minister only moved the man one step up. He was Deputy Rector when Modibbo piloted the place. In all this, expertise took precedence over politics.
This is just the first leg of a quarter mile race. Keyamo is handling the Nigeria Air scandal with an open mind. Those who tried to Ethiopianise our mentality, are fighting hard. When the vibrations start, many commitments will quake.
FAAN flew to Abuja, wasting money on tickets and accommodation. Keyamo has dragged them back to Lagos. Someone was humorous about it, saying the Big Men joined Ekene Dili Chukwu luxury buses. I cannot stop laughing with him.
