NCAA Spokesperson, Achimugu Describes Criticisms Against Najomo As Baseless

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA), has described the criticism against the acting Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo as baseless and unfounded.

Reacting to a recent article which accused Najomo of declaring himself as the substantive DG without presidential or Senate confirmation, citing a video where he introduced himself as “Director-General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority”, NCAA’s Director for Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, explained that Najomo’s introduction in the video is consistent with his role as Acting DG and that there is no evidence of him overstepping his authority.

“The confirmation of a DGCA rests only with the Honourable Minister, the President, and the National Assembly. The Ag. DGCA, the management and staff of the NCAA are focused on performing their duties to the industry and Nigeria. We will not be distracted by the antics of a few disgruntled elements whose vitriol can only be considered the last kicks of drowning horses who are angry to see their legacy of incompetence sink into the abyss where it belongs,” he said.

Achimugu also said that under Najomo’s leadership, the Authority has achieved a lot, including the completion of the NCAA’s Flight Data Centre, improved consumer protection mechanisms, and streamlined licensing processes for operators.

He said however, that his tenure has not been without challenges, as ‘shadowy figures’ within the industry have allegedly launched relentless campaigns to tarnish his reputation and remove him from office.

Reacting to concerns raised in the article about aviation safety under Najomo’s leadership, Achimugu said that no commercial plane crashes have occurred during his tenure and cited the action the acting DG took in suspending Dana Air over safety concerns, saying it shows Najomo’s commitment to passenger safety.

Reacting to claims that the NCAA has a 224-day target for resolving customer complaints, Achimugu said, “The claim that the NCAA has a target of 224 days for resolving customer complaints is incorrect. The longest timeframe for refund of ticket purchases is 14 days as captured in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023. Under Najomo’s leadership, the Consumer Protection Department of the NCAA has achieved the highest volume of passenger refunds and compensations in its entire history. It also had the highest number of stakeholder engagements in the history of the Authority. Capt. Najomo launched a first-of-its-kind consumer complaints portal for seamless resolution of cases, and to ensure accurate collation, storage, and dissemination of data.”

He said industry stakeholders, including the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and aviation unions, have rallied behind Najomo, calling for his confirmation as substantive DG and have praised his efforts to clear backlog of staff entitlements, improve operational efficiency, and foster a more productive workforce.

He maintained that NCAA remains steadfast in its mission to uphold aviation safety and efficiency.