The staff of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have joined forces to call for the confirmation of Capt. Chris Najomo as the substantive Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The staff under the aegis of Joint Action Congress (JAC), the umbrella body of four unions in the agency in its communique issued at the end of its extra-ordinary leadership meeting, held recently, said that the confirmation of Najomo would bring stability and growth to the agency in particular and the industry in general.

The unions under JAC are Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN); National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE); Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).

The communique, was signed by Comrades Jakada Anthony, Chairman NUATE; ‘Remi Aderinkomi, Chairman ATSSSAN; Ben Godwin, Chairman ANAP and Diepreye Saburugha, Chairman NAAPE at NCAA.

The workers insisted that they had implicit confidence in the leadership of the regulatory body for aviation, as currently led by Najomo who had been in acting capacity since December 13, 2023 when he was appointed alongside five other agencies’ Chief Executives.

JAC further reminded the government that aviation was a precision industry with no margin of error worldwide, stressing that the regulatory and oversight demanded firm and professional leadership, which could not be subjected to political whims and caprices.

According to the body, since Najomo’s appointment, a new culture of dignity and value for the workforce had birthed under him, stressing that this totally fits into President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The body also commended several principal aviation stakeholders in Nigeria and overseas who have deemed it fit to openly acknowledge the good work being done by Najomo to reposition civil aviation in Nigeria since he assumed office in acting capacity almost a year ago.

The communique added: “JAC affirmed that these critical aviation stakeholders having witnessed firsthand the positive impact of the current responsible and pragmatic leadership brought to bear on the industry by the regulatory body (NCAA), are right to call on the Federal government to confirm the appointment of Capt. Chris Najomo as a substantive DGCA.

“JAC affirmed that the evaluation and assessment of the performance of Capt. Chris Najomo so far, in line with President Tinubu’s quality policy coordination and delivery for all heads of agencies of government, can best be achieved by relying on feedback from the aviation industry stakeholder’s majority of whom have express plaudits for the current leadership at NCAA.”

The communique declared that Nigeria having found a formula that works in its civil aviation regulatory leadership, should rationally embrace and build upon this formula in order to continue the repositioning of the industry into an hub of civil aviation in Africa, as led by Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

The body appealed to Tinubu and keyamo to expedite action on the confirmation of Najomo as the substantive Director-General for NCAA, maintaining that this would further entrench safety and security in the industry.

Just recently, African Aviation Renaissance Group (AARG), a Non-Governmental Orgaisation (NGO), which aim is to entrench safety in the aviation industry, Najomo, for his innovative direction since he assumed office almost a year ago.

The group in an interaction with aviation journalists in Lagos, listed the achievements of Najomo since his appointment December last year, which they claimed were enough to earn him a substantive position in the apex regulatory agency in the Nigerian aviation industry.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Comrade Akanbi Adimula, Spokesman, AARG, said that Najomo’s appointment had turned out to be the much-needed elixir and healing balm, which the NCAA and civil aviation in the country needed to push it to the right pedestal.