…May ask ex-directors, GMs to refund money to its coffers
The Federal Government has approved the appointment of two new directors for two key directorates in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
The newly appointed directors are Mrs. Nike Aboderin, who would take charge of the directorate of Finance and Accounts as Director of Finance and Accounts, and Mr. Sadiku Abdulkadir Rafindadi, appointed as Director of Commercial and Business Development.
The appointments were contained in a release signed by the acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu.
Mrs. Aboderin, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, holds an M.Sc degree in Banking and Finance obtained from the University of Lagos.
She boasts of over 23 years’ experience in the financial services industry, which has exposed her to both public and private exploits at different institutions, including multinationals.
Aboderin is also an Advanced Management Programme graduate of Lagos Business School with a post graduate certificate in Global Strategic Management from the Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.
She is married and blessed with children.
Mr. Rafindadi, a 1985 graduate of Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, also holds an MBA in Finance obtained from Clark Atlanta University, USA.
He attended Kaduna Polytechnic, where he obtained certificates in Management Studies.
A seasoned and amiable manager, who began his career as a young officer and rose to the pinnacle through diligence and commitment, Mr. Rafindadi until his current appointment, has occupied several management capacities in different institutions, including, Phoenix Investment Services and British Petroleum.
Meanwhile, there are indications that some of the directors and general managers caught in the sack gale that swept through the airport management agency last week, may be compelled to refund various sums of money to government coffers, following painstaking investigations by government into their appointments and activities.
The Federal Government, following the recommendations of the Presidential Committee, chaired by the Head of Service, Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, is demoting, sacking or redeploying certain personnel who were brought into FAAN without requisite qualification or required experience, but were given key managerial positions.
Meanwhile, The Point investigations revealed that Rafindadi is alleged to be a first cousin of Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika and that these directors were employed to drive the planned airports concession proposed by the government.
And this is creating apprehension among aviation industry stakeholders that the Federal Government under Muhammadu Buhari may be committing the same mistake committed by previous administrations, by bringing people from outside the authority, instead of allowing the rules of the civil service take predominance.
A FAAN worker, who pleaded anonymity, told The Point, “It is because of this constant dumping of people in FAAN that has caused the rot in the agency. People who are supposed to rise are not rising, while government brings in cronies to stunt their growth. When they complain there is rot in the agency, they should know they are 75 per cent responsible for it.”
