BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, has doused the tension caused by a cross-section of the aviation community, who reportedly raised red flags over attempts by an aviation charter company, Omni-Blu Aviation, to secure an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to operate scheduled services.
The complainants queried the legality of the matter, claiming that one of Omni-Blu’s directors, Engineer Akin Olateru, who doubles as the Director General of Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) failed to resign from the company before accepting a federal government appointment.
However, Captain Nuhu, while providing clarity on the matter, explained that the documents provided by the management of Omni-Blu Aviation shows that Olateru duly resigned from the company and as such did not break civil service rules nor committed any official infractions to warrant the dust raised over it.
The NCAA boss laid the matter to rest at the launch of a book titled ‘Handbook on Public Relation Practice and Aviation Reporting’, written by Sam Adurogboye, former public relations manager of NCAA.
According to him, the NCAA, in line with recommended standards, only asked some questions in the course of processing the airline’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC), which some quarters mischievously twisted to mean that the regulator has indefinitely suspended working on Omni-Blu’s papers.
He noted: “It is unfortunate that it was concluded that the NCAA has suspended the AOC processes of Omni-Blu Aviation. One of the directors of Omni-Blu who is the Director General of NSIB, Engineer Akin Olateru, a very close colleague and a friend of mine is a shareholder in Ombi-Blu and this was something he had before he came to the public service.
“Just because you came to public service does not mean you should wipe off your previous years.
“There was just a question from the NCAA that it appears there was a conflict between this application and the Act of NSIB and NCAA. So, they were asked to respond and they responded. He has provided all the documents. He has shown proof he has resigned and he has declared his interest in those organisations. So, he has provided the appropriate documentation to show that there is no conflict of interest.
“We cannot wipe out our previous lives just because we got to work for the government, but there are conditions.
“In an industry where you are a CEO or a staff, you cannot have an interest, but there are procedures and he has given proof for those procedures; he has shown us that he actually resigned and that letter is actually confirmed by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). He showed that he has done all the necessary declarations to show that he has resigned.
“The only thing is that he has given the necessary documents required, but we have to take it through the normal procedures, legal process so that when documentation is done that he has been cleared, somebody tomorrow will not go and challenge it. It is important to go through the process of clearing him so that the records are put out there. Anybody that comes in the future, can look at the file, see that the issue was raised, but the appropriate information was provided and the individual was cleared”, he said.
Nuhu revealed that the process would be completed in the new week (this week).
“However, in this new week. It would have been done, but our legal adviser travelled out with me. So, we will work on it and the process will continue”, he added.
It should be noted that Last week, the media was awash with viral reports that the NCAA had suspended the AOC processes for Omn-Blu Aviation (OBA), which would enable it to operate as a scheduled operator.
