FG suspends five NAMA chiefs under trial

*Shake up looms in agencies

Five top officials of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA ) standing trial for N9.6 billion theft have been suspended from office.

With the suspension, the officials ceased to be employees of NAMA pending the determination of their cases.

The suspended officials are the Managing Director,  Ibrahim Abdulsalam,  Director Finance,  Clara Aliche, Acting General Manager ICT, Bola Akirinbido, Acting General Manager,  Procurement, Muyiwa Adegorite and Acting General Manager Finance,  Segun Agbolade.

Woleshadare.net learnt that they were individually given their letters of suspension by the Permanent Secretary,  Ministry of Transportation,  Alhaji Sabiu Zakari today.

The officials are expected to appear before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court,  Ikoyi on Thursday in continuation of their trial.

The accused are standing trial for their involvement in fraud and theft and had since being arraigned.

It would be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ) had swooped on the officials at NAMA headquarters on February 12, 2016. After over eight hours gruesome grilling, they were eventially whisked away by the anti graft agency.

Since their arraignment,  fear has gripped other aviation agencies as the EFCC are said to be closing in on probe of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN ),  the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA ) and others that are said to be enmeshed in high scale sleaze.

There are indications that the Federal Government has concluded plans to carry out major shake up in the sector following lost of confidence in some highly placed officials of some of the agencies and to bring vibrancy to the sector.

Officials whose positions are seriously under threat are those of FAAN, NCAA and NAMA where there are vacancies occasioned by instability in the agency.