Aviation Crisis: NCAA DG Chris Najomo Asked to Resign
- The National Aviation Stakeholders Forum called on NCAA Director-General Capt. Chris Najomo to step down over regulatory failures
- NASF accused the NCAA leadership of allowing the TSC dispute to spiral into an industrial action that grounded flights and disrupted passengers
- The forum urged the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation to probe how the 5% Ticket Sales Charge was collected, remitted and spent
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Abuja, FCT - The National Aviation Stakeholders Forum (NASF) has demanded the immediate resignation of the director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, saying his leadership failed to prevent last week's aviation crisis from happening.
The forum, which comprises aviation experts and consultants, argued that the disruption to flight schedules, including mass cancellations and forced rescheduling, was avoidable and should not have been allowed to reach the point of industrial action by aviation unions.
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In a statement signed by its national coordinator, Engr. Yahaya Yusuf, on Monday, August 17, NASF said the controversy surrounding the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) had exposed deep concerns about how funds collected from passengers were being managed and remitted across aviation agencies.
NASF Pushes for Full TSC Investigation
Beyond calling for the NCAA chief's exit, the forum urged the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation to broaden its ongoing public hearing on the TSC sharing formula into a full investigation of the fund's management.
Specifically, NASF asked the committee to obtain records of collections and remittances from airlines, identify outstanding liabilities, examine what enforcement action had been taken against defaulting operators, and scrutinise how agencies had spent funds already received.
"The issue should not be limited to who gets what percentage of the five per cent TSC. Nigerians deserve to know how much has been collected, how much has been remitted and what has happened to the funds," Yusuf said.
The group also called for a real-time, technology-driven tracking system for ticket sales, TSC collections and remittances, saying this would close loopholes and reduce the risk of future disruptions.
NCAA Leadership Under Fire
NASF placed responsibility for the crisis squarely on the NCAA's leadership, saying regulatory authorities exist to prevent such breakdowns, not manage the fallout afterwards.
"Leadership is about preventing crises, not merely responding after flights have been grounded. The recent disruption has raised serious questions about the capacity of the NCAA under Capt. Najomo to effectively regulate and manage the sector. We believe the time has come for fresh leadership at the NCAA. Capt. Najomo should take responsibility and resign in the interest of the aviation industry and the travelling public," Yusuf said.
The forum did, however, commend the National Assembly for engaging stakeholders on the TSC formula and urged lawmakers to ensure any outcome prioritises transparency and sustainable funding for aviation agencies.
Last week's crisis, linked to disputes over the non-remittance and sharing of the statutory TSC fund, caused widespread flight cancellations and rescheduling across Nigerian airports. Normal operations only resumed after the federal government and the National Assembly stepped in to broker a resolution.
Legit.ng previously reported on the industrial action by aviation unions and the federal government's intervention to restore flight activities to normalcy.
Source: Legit.ng
