FG Sacks 20 Directors, Managers In FAAN

About 21 senior officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria were on Wednesday sacked in a major shake-up. Those affected, including directors, general managers and deputy general managers, were reportedly handed their termination of appointment letters.

Sources at the head office of FAAN in Lagos said no fewer than 10 general managers were demoted. They were said to have earlier been improperly promoted.

It was learnt from an official of the Ministry of Aviation that the sacking was the first batch of the shake-up planned by the government to reposition FAAN.

Stakeholders said the Federal Government had been concerned about certain issues at FAAN such as the engagement of about 40 general managers, the creation of many directorates that brought about duplication of duties and raised the authority’s monthly overhead to an estimated N800m.

Sources told The Punch that the government planned to reduce the number of workers by way of restructuring in order to cushion the effects of the current economic crisis.

Some of the general managers were said not to have the qualifications for the sensitive positions they held, as many of them, including deputy general managers, had reportedly left the university about 10 years ago and could not have qualified for the office they held.

Almost all the directors were said to have been affected, while an acting director of finance was said to have been demoted to Grade Level 10 and redeployed to the Department of ICT.

Many of the affected officers were moved from Grade Levels 17 and 16 down to 10, 12 and 14.

The restructuring at the airports is said to be the fallout of a panel’s report headed by the Head of Service, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, which recommended the need for a proper placement in FAAN.