February 19, 2025
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CASR Appeals For Recall of 200 Sacked NCAA Staff

Centre for Aviation Safety and Research (CAS-R) has made a passionate plea to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) following the directives of the Hon. Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Benjamin Chidoka, to recall almost two hundred staff it sacked after the Director General, Captain Usman Muhtar took over office.
This is just as the CASR has said that continuous lingering of the sacked staff matter may derail the NCAA’s focus which is supposed to be on the coming International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Audit in June
Founder and President, Sheri A. Kyari made this known in a statement saying that the sacking was consequent to the fact that their recruitment was allegedly laced with irregularities.
The resultant effect of the sack, also got some directors suspended but have been recalled to their duty posts while the innocent staff employed are still in the cold.
It has however been established by the Ministry of Aviation that the then Acting DG followed due process before employing these staff and consequently asked the DG to recall these staff to the regulatory body, a situation that is foot-dragging at best.
CASR in its appeal said,” In consideration of the harsh economic conditions in the country, I will appeal to the Hon. Minister of Aviation to reconsider restoring to the duty posts of these Nigerians, some of which had earlier left their former employments for the aviation experience. It would be to the credit of the Minister to also temper justice with mercy. “
“They are Nigerians and not foreigners. The multiplier effect arising from the challenges they are passing through at present and on their dependents is better imagined, as two hundred of them can translate to at least over two thousand other Nigerians who depend on them for their daily survival, growth and development.”
On the coming ICAO Audit in June, CASR said that the pressure on the Director General, NCAA on the issue of the staff is much and is capable of distracting him from piloting the affairs of the Authority effectively.
“And in the face of the coming audit in June, 2015, he needs to remain focused and not be distracted. Therefore, the Federal Government should and be seen to be very clear in directing the Director General over this issue. If there are errors in the recalling processes, a committee should be set to scrutinize the recruitment process that brought them in and those found to have been employed crookedly, be shown the way out rather than having a blanket sacking of such a large number of Nigerians. “
“They are forced to go into the already over bloated unemployment market. This action can make some of them to stay for years without employment.”
CASR also said that “the Minister of Aviation has taken some bold steps in transforming the industry and is hoping to bring in investors to support the growth and development of the industry; it therefore means that the need for experienced hands at the authority will be imminent.“
“Undoubtedly, the staff should be recalled to gain experience before the investors start coming. Else the industry will expand before we start looking for experienced hands, which will be putting the cart before the horse. They need to be on ground ready to commence oversight functions on the new aviation businesses being expected.”
“I wish to congratulate the minister for the new policy directive to have one Nigerian pilot in the cockpit of every general aviation operation in Nigeria come July, 2015. In the same vein, these operators should also; where possible, have a cabin crew of Nigerian extraction to be followed by having Aircraft Engineers being employed by such operators.”

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