The removal of the boss of the highest regulatory agency in the Nigeria Aviation industry was announced in a statement from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
“His Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has approved the removal of Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren from Office as the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) with effect from 12th March 2013.
“This is consequent to a careful consideration of Dr. Demuren’s unsatisfactory response to the numerous concerns of stakeholders in the aviation sector. Mr. President wishes him well in his future endeavours,”the statement read.
Harold Demuren: sacked by Jonathan
There have been calls for the removal of Demurin over the Dana plane crash of 3 June, 2012 which resulted in a loss of over 150 lives.
A Committee set up by the House of Representatives to probe the plane crash had in its report submitted in December 2012 claimed the crash was as a result of failure of regulatory oversight by the NCAA and called for the dismissal of Demuren from service.
The legislators also said the NCAA boss should be prosecuted for criminal negligence.
Demuren was appointed the DG of NCAA in 2005 and before the DANA crash was particularly praised by stakeholders in the sector for his ability to make the country’s aviation sector accident free for his first five years in office.
Ironically, his appointment came at a time the nation’s aviation sector was undergoing great stress with two devastating plane crashes in quick succession, that claimed over 250 lives- Bellview Airline crash in Lisa village, Ogun State and Sosoliso Airline plane crash in Port- Harcourt, Rivers State.
On his appointment,Demuren proceeded to implement a series of reforms geared at repositioning the sector including and engender confidence in the travelling public.
These include economic and safety audit on the airlines,making Nigeria become a signatory to the Cape Town Convention which made the acquisition of newer aircraft possible for operators among others.
No doubt, the biggest achievement of Demurin was helping Nigeria to get the Category One status of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
This gave Nigerian designated carriers opportunity to operate their own airplane to the US and vice versa.
The former NCAA DG who was on his second tenure of office before he was sacked on Monday also made history as the first African to be elected President, International Civil Aviation Organisation General Assembly.
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