25th Anniversary Celebration: A Befitting Night for NCAA
Penultimate Saturday, the boisterous atmosphere around and inside the expansive Ladi Kwali Conference Centre at the five-star Abuja Continental Hotel was enough testimony to any first-time visitor or onlooker to recognize that a milestone event was taking place.
The blue coloured and crisply designed beautiful banners and backdrops of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) adorning the walls, entrances and corners of the Centre readily provided answers to inquisitive minds who had hitherto sighted multitude chatting, laughing, exchanging banters and pleasantries boisterously as they either move or drive closer inside the serene environment of the hotel, with it well-watered flowers, all of them unique and extraordinary, swayed gracefully in the gentle Abuja night wind.
DGCA Captain Chris Najomo at the event.
While anyone could easily notice that the event as boldly displayed everywhere was the ‘25th Anniversary Celebration of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’ tagged NCAA@25 award and gala night, a shared opinion among the thousand of people who stood in the hall waiting to be ushered into the venue of the event was that as young as NCAA is, just 25, it is indeed a successful child of destiny worthy to be celebrated. The shocking revelations by two Ministers who had seen firsthand the many attempts to either abort the child at conception or kill it as it grow but failed gave credence to its divinity.
But, as destiny will have it, one name stood tall and kept popping up in the discussions and whispers across the well decorated and glowing tables inside the equally exquisite hall, the name “Jolly Papa” the nickname for the Director General, Civil Aviation, the ebullient Chris Najomo filled the atmosphere even before the event took off formally with a former Minister of Aviation and creator of the NCAA, Capt. Benoni Briggs, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, former Director Generals of the CAA, including the famous Dr. Harold Demuren, it staffers, stakeholders in the Nigerian aviation industry, award recipients, their families, friends and dignitaries that congregated took turn to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the agency in its two and half decades of existence and more specifically paid glowing tributes and applauded the giant strides recorded under Captain Najomo one year of purposeful leadership.
L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr Ibrahim Kana, Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, DGCA, Captain Chris Najomo and Director General NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike at the NCAA@25th Anniversary Celebration in Abuja recently.
It was a poignant moment when the Master of Ceremony announced the entrance of the DG into the hall. The manner in which staff of NCAA serenaded him with shout of ‘Jolly Papa’ ‘Jolly Papa’ with a standing ovation despite being in office for a year demonstrated their love and appreciation for a man that has brought hope back to a crestfallen workforce and one who has, one dare says, catered for their welfare so magnificently. It was perhaps, also, an opportunity for many of them who came from outside the main regional offices of Abuja and Lagos to have some handshakes with the foremost Nigerian pilot.
The convivial embrace and jocundity with which Najomo hugged his staff as he strolled from table to table admiring cheers from an equally effervescent and beholden comrades was a testament to the camaraderie that has existed between the helmsman and his foot soldiers within a short time.
It was for him, somewhat a dreamlike moment as he often glances across the huge hall filled with admirers and with closed eyes imagined the journey ahead, most especially having recently achieved his greatest victory in his success laddened career as pilot, manager and administrator with his confirmation as Substantive Director General of the CAA by the Nigerian Senate upon the request by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The success of the event aptly confirmed renowned French chemist, pharmacist, and microbiologist Louis Pasteur wise saying on the importance of preparation when he famously declared that “Fortune favors the prepared mind.” The significance of the occasion to mark the NCAA@25 suggested that only a visionary, pragmatic and courageous leader will spearhead such a talk of the town event in just one year in office where 119 awards and recognition were doled out to outstanding individuals and organisations that has performed excellently well in different categories in the estimation of the organizing committee led by the enterprising NCAA Director of Human Resources and Administration, Dr (Mrs.) Anastasia Gbem. It was no surprise many at the occasion affirmed that only a prepared leader could have achieved so much and put up such a show within a short time.
L-R: Professor Anosike, Mr. Festus Keyamo, Dr. Ibrahim Kana and Captain Najomo stepping into the event hall in Abuja
The accolades had begun to rolled in much earlier in the day during the symposium to set the tone for the gala/awards night and indeed they were in much supply at the night. Pundits poured encomiums on the CAA’s activities since December of 2023 and more importantly it renewed and reinvigorated consumers’ protection directorate, one headed by Najomo himself before his elevation and now led by the energetic and vivacious Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Micheal Achimugu.
Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, Mr. George Uriesi summed up the shared impressions of airline operators and stakeholders in the industry during the symposium regarding the activities of the Consumer Protection directorate when he exclaimed that “Even though we the airlines we for prefer make NCAA no dey harass us for consumer protection, but men, the way the NCAA is now carrying on with this consumer protection matter, the thing wear wrapper… (laughter), so it has made us rise to the occasion more than we would have done before because we no very well that before you look like this, that their Director (meaning Achimugu), I dey look for the guy I no see am, the guy don hala us.”
Uriesi, a former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria declared that “It’s amazing that in a forum of industry professionals, we seem to be so oblivious of the fact that this is no longer 1989 or 1991. They have no idea how effective our CAA has become. As someone who runs an airline, I know how effective our airline, Ibom Air is regulated by the NCAA”. He affirmed that “The NCAA is effective. The NCAA is professional. The NCAA does not allow any slack whatsoever. No matter what kind of relationships you have with it… with that kind of effective regulation, with my years in the industry which are now 34 years. This is really the first time I am seeing effective regulations.”
The Edo state born airport management guru had also enthused saying “In fact, sometimes I say to myself, ‘na so dem dey do the other airline? Because e be like say na only us them dey regulate like this oooo.”
He commended the DG saying “I want to congratulate you on your confirmation and for the work that you’ve done, and I also want to express to the CAA hearty congratulations. Fantastic work that the CAA has done. As one of your heavily regulated clients, I can attest to the effectiveness, and I will say it anywhere of the NCAA’s regulatory oversight of the industry today and it is a round of applause for them. We are very grateful.”
Dr. Kana (Left) in a warm handshake with former NCAA DG, Dr. Harold Demuren while Keyamo and Captain Najomo watch at the occasion.
For a man whose vision has materialized into a global brand and his offspring turning into hot cakes in the aviation world, an elated and fulfilled Captain Briggs did brought a reflective moment to the occasion with his account of events that birth the NCAA and the floods of subterfuges that ensued in an attempt to kill the new born agency, even to the point of choosing to put his own life on the line against the many voices that admonished him to do a volte-face then. At the end the Niger Deltan celebrated Chief expressed his joy at seeing his brain child turned into a grown and blossomed agency.
The crowd did roll out in laughter when he warned not to be rushed in giving his account because, as the father of the child been celebrated, the nostalgic history and stories should be told the younger generation. His joyful mien was palpable when he stirred another round of laughter with his playful jokes as he said “I want to thank the DG. They call him ‘Jolly Papa, I call him Jolly Boy, because I can’t call my son papa. He is my ‘Jolly Boy’ and I know what he can do. For what he has done, in our local parlance we say, him eyes dey for ground” before inquiring whether “Him eyes dey ground, yes or no? and got a tumultuous affirmative response. “The NCAA did not start today, but after 25 years of existence Najomo thought it wise to celebrate this child.” He said further and the applause he received when he told the emotionally charged audience who listened with rapt attention to his accounts fittingly summed up also the significance of the celebration.
Mr. Keyamo followed suit with praises for Najomo for the giant infrastructure development witnessed in the last one year under him saying “We should thank God that it is quite fortuitous that it is during our tenures as Minister, as DG, as directors, that we have reached this silver jubilee stretch in the journey of the NCAA”
He said “From the story of the former Minister, I am sure you have seen that the NCAA is a child of God that despite turbulent waters and attempts, sometimes to kill the NCAA, the NCAA has survived 25 years. And I’m sure you know that any child that is born at the age of 25 that, of course, is undoubtedly an age of maturity. By then, you should have graduated, served and you would have started working at 25 if everything goes well. So, 25 years is an age of maturity.”
Stating his account of how he saved the ‘child of destiny’ the Minister said “Let me tell you my small story too, about the NCAA, unknown to you and maybe known to a few people. You know, the Steve Orosanya report also recommended the merger of NCAA, and so that was also another attempt to kill the NCAA.”
Captain Najomo after receiving the JAC ‘Icon of Leadership Award’
“That report was passed on, I think, from Jonathan’s government to Buhari government and then to the present government. It was ready, since Jonathan’s government, if I remember. So that was another attempt to kill the NCAA. And so, throughout the tenure of Buhari government, we couldn’t consider that report. Incidentally, I was the only surviving Minister for Buhari to this government, so I was part of that government, and it came up a few times in council, but we couldn’t consider it. But guess what? It was one of the first items we considered in this government.
The original report came up that day, and I was ready with my battle axe. And so, the President went on and on, considered every item in the original report and asked council to vote and for each item, to listen to the ministers, so they came to aviation, and the President said, merger of NCAA and NAMA as one body, so I raise my hand? I said, Sir, I spoke about five minutes. And because we have a wonderful president who listens to you, know good counsel and good arguments. After I finished speaking, he said, item dropped and NCAA remain.”
Turning to his now smiling predecessor, Captain Briggs, Keyamo enthused thus “So, sir, like a good son, the battle you passed on to your son. I kept the battle alive by making sure that the NCAA did not die, if not, by now we would have been talking of a merger of NCAA and NAMA. So today, we truly celebrate the heroes and heroines of this very great body that has ensured that our skies remain very safe. And turning again to Najomo he said “We thank you so much for your industry, your expertise, for everything you have done to keep the skies in Nigeria safe.”
Indeed, the icing on the cake for the equally glorious night for the accomplished Captain Najomo was the presentation of the ‘Icon of Leadership Award’ to him by the Joint Action Congress (JAC)of NCAA unions for what they described as a mark of appreciation by the entire workforce of NCAA for their ‘Jolly Papa’. Najomo dedicated the award to God and all staffers urging them to continue the good work.
Speaking on behalf of JAC, Comrade Remi Aderinkomi, Chairman of the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), NCAA branch, echoed that “Recognizing that Najomo have positively altered the trajectory of the CAA staff work and personal life, by bringing back their hopes of fulfilled career progression, promotion as and when due, and payment of their long-pending allowances. The CAA workers as a subset of the Nigerian Citizenry, whose hope President Bola Tinubu’s government pledged to renew at the inception of his administration are now fully assured that Najomo and the Honourable Minister of Aviation are truly poised to renew the hope of all aviation workers.”
Remi added that “Additionally Capt. Najomo has taught a great and didactic lesson in pragmatic leadership, with his courage, determination and willpower to break barriers that had hitherto crippled the NCAA in the areas of physical infrastructure overhaul and implementation of new safety and security processes and protocols aimed at resharpening the regulatory oversight capabilities of the CAA.”
The labour leader affirmed that “The entire JAC of NCAA unions believed, that with the Honourable Minister and Permanent Secretary’s continuous support, the DGCA will maintain the tempo and continue to churn out workers friendly policies to keep the CAA workers at their best in the course of their oversight responsibilities, noting that a contented worker is a highly productive one.”
“JAC pledged the full commitment and dedication of all strata of the CAA workers to their oversight duties geared to keep Civil Aviation business in Nigeria safe, secure and regular.” The joyous ATSSSAN leader concluded.
The commendations at the night indeed corroborated the position of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Network (RHAN), which while drumming support for Najomo’s confirmation earlier when the battle to appoint a substantive DG for the agency did stressed that the NCAA experienced a renewed sense of purpose and efficiency under Najomo’s leadership and possess the attributes to propel the agency to greater heights.
The leadership of RHAN had affirmed that “His tenure as Managing Director of an airline gives him a unique insight into the pains and challenges of operators. This dual perspective as a pilot and an administrator has enabled him to implement policies that balance regulatory oversight with industry development just as his approach ensures that operators thrive while passengers enjoy safety and reliability.”
Captain Najomo at the anniversary symposium
It said “The era of leadership instability and corruption in the NCAA is over. Aviation is a critical sector for Nigeria’s economic transformation. Under Captain Najomo’s leadership, the NCAA is well-positioned to drive this transformation. His vision for a safe, efficient, and globally competitive aviation sector is precisely what Nigeria needs at this time.” RHAN said further.
Indeed, while the events of the awards and gala night will remain indelible in the minds of the NCAA workforce, a new chapter of the voyage under Najomo has begun as the full-fledged DG and no doubt with the vivacious and affectionate camaraderie on show on February 15th, there is denying the fact that their journey will surely be a glorious one.
For Najomo, to borrow the words of Joseph Barbara, his happiness that night is the real sense of fulfillment that comes from his hard work of the last one year as DGCA and the many he garnered as a successful pilot and astute administrator.
