80 Kano gov’t-trained pilots now teachers, civil servants
About 80 Kano graduates trained as
commercial pilots in Jordan have been
converted to school teachers and civil
servants by the state government.
Investigations by Daily Trust revealed that
instead of sending them to Zaria Aviation
College for professional certification, the
pilots were deployed to Kano State
Secondary School Management Board
and Kano State Civil Service Commission
for posting to schools and ministries.
Multiple sources revealed that about 40 of
them were sent to secondary schools and
ministries of Finance and Land in July,
2015. However, those sent to schools
were not yet accepted, with
“irregularities” cited in their
appointments. While those in ministries
had resumed, they have not been paid
salaries ever since.
In March 2013, the then-governor Rabi’u
Kwankwaso’s administration awarded a
N1.1 billion ($6.7 million) special
scholarship to 100 young graduates from
the state for an 18-month professional
pilot training course at the Mid-East
Aviation Academy, Amman, Jordan. One
of the pilots who declined being named
for fear of victimisation said of the 100
graduates offered the scholarship, only 85
completed the course. He said 82 of them
are back into the country in batches while
three others are still in the aviation
college. The remaining 15 didn’t attend
the course for one reason or the other.
The Mid-East Aviation Academy is a flight
training organisation that offers courses
in pilot training, aircraft engineering and
avionics, and is certified by the Jordanian
Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, a
statement by Kwankwaso’s spokesperson
Malam Baba Dantiye said during a
ceremony held for the trainees before
their departure.
Though a pilot can still be trained in
Nigeria at N9 million or below, the
Kwankwaso regime sent them to Jordan
at about N11 million each. The
scholarship was coordinated by the office
of the Secretary to the State Government
(SSG). “Our vision is to equip Kano
indigenes to face the challenges of
globalisation and take advantage of the
local and international opportunities to
improve their lot,” Kwankwaso said. He
also added that the foreign training would
expose beneficiaries to best practices in
aircraft management in addition to
fostering a global citizenship.
‘Conversion to teachers, civil servants’
Multiple sources who spoke to Daily Trust
said the pilots require about N500 million
to undergo the second and last batch of
the training in Nigerian College of Aviation
Technology (NCAT), Zaria. According to
them, Abdullahi Ganduje administration
seems to be foot-dragging in footing their
bills. One of the pilots told our reporter
that the Kwankwaso administration spent
N11 million on each of the students for
the first training in Jordan, but they
require another type-rating license to
complement their study.
“Kano state government had spend N11
million for each one of the 100 students
for the duration of our study, that will give
you commercial pilot license. This license
is like a background, when you have this
license, you can fly as a pilot. But that is
not enough. For you to get this
commercial pilot license, you have to fly a
cumulative of 230 hours to qualify,” he
said, adding: “After this license, what you
then require to fly as a pilot is another
two-month training, called type-rating.
This is the bone of contention with Kano
State government. The Ganduje
administration has refused to pay for us
to undergo that training at the moment.”
The source also said the type-rating study
will enable them study specific types of
aircrafts ranging from Boeing 373, 747,
777 and Airbus A380, A320, A330, offered
in a number of European countries and
the United States. He said the cost of the
training is relative to the company and the
type of aircraft. But the cost is between
four to five million naira per trainee, he
said.
The source told Daily Trust that a majority
of them went to Lagos for a medical and a
Computer-Based Test (CBT) to enable
them have Nigerian licenses, which made
them eligible to fly in Nigeria. He said
Kwankwaso administration paid for those
who returned before he left office to go to
Lagos for the medical examinations. “They
sent us in batches of 10 and 15, after the
executive council’s approval. And that
continued, also, at the beginning of the
Ganduje administration,” he said. He
continued, stressing that the present state
governor was not unaware of the need to
undergo the second training, as some of
the students had once met him in Saudi
Arabia during lesser Hajj, when he was
the deputy governor and urged them to
put it in writing for onward transmission
to the then governor, which they did.
The source continued his narration:
“When we came back to Kano, it was the
election period and we found it difficult to
meet any top government official. After
Ganduje became the new governor, we
continued with our push to see the
governor, through the SSG’s office. And by
coincidence, the SSG has not been
changed, so he is aware of the situation
since his office is directly overseeing our
study. To be honest, the SSG’s office is
responsible for our present predicament,
as they told us that what was earlier
planned could not be realised, citing
change of government and that we should
be given (appointment) offers in
government ministries and government
schools before the government settles
and looks at our situation again.”
And that was what happened, as Daily
Trust checks showed. The source said:
“They collected our CVs and printed offers
from ministries and some from
secondary schools. We don’t know the
criteria they used in dispatching us. We
accepted, but up till now, there is no
word, since June/July of 2015.” The fear
of all the trained pilots, he said, as time
passes, so does the value of their license.
The students said after exhausting all
avenues to reach out to the governor,
they decided to take their matter to the
Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II.
Surprisingly, the state government came
out to deny knowledge of their return
from Jordan and also accused them of
trying to tarnish the image of the
government.
More than moonlighting
It was not clear whether Kwankwaso’s
administration had done a feasibility
studies before sending the graduates to
train as pilots. The question now is even if
these pilots are certified, who will employ
them? This is expedient because there are
about 600 pilots that are currently
unemployed in Nigeria.
Checks revealed that there are 7,103
pilots registered with the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority (NCAA). Out of this,
only 2,093 have current license while 93
have applied to revalidate theirs. A source
said the remaining number might be
those that are either unemployed, sick or
incapacitated.
Daily Trust spoke to some pilots who
resorted to selling recharge cards and
driving taxis to make ends meet. Marian
Macaulay (not real name), 25, completed
her course three years ago at the NCAT
where she bagged her Commercial Pilot
Licence (CPL) multi-engine certificate
which qualified her as a fully licensed
commercial pilot. Soon after graduation,
her passion for flying which actually
motivated her to enrol for the certificate,
became drenched as she is unable to get
a job.
Since her graduation, she has been
unemployed and in order to keep body
and soul together, she currently sells
recharge cards at the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport, Abuja. “I am a
trained commercial pilot with CPL multi-
engine certificate obtained from NCAT.
Since I graduated I have tried to look for
job in one of these airlines without
success. I just don’t want to remain idle,
that is why I resorted to the recharge card
business at least to keep body and soul
together,” she said.
Another unemployed pilot whose name
was simply given as Tunji was sponsored
by his father, who struggled hard to make
the dream of his child a reality by
sponsoring him until he became a fully-
licensed commercial pilot. But like many
of his colleagues who have gone through
rigorous training to become a pilots, Tunji
has found no aircraft to fly. Out of
frustration, he has become a taxi driver in
Lagos in order to assist his parents.
‘Misplaced priority’
The Executive Director of Centre for
Aviation Safety and Research, Engr. Sheri
Kyari said he would not support state
government to continue to use state
funds to sponsor few people to train as
pilots. He said such investment would
amount to waste of resources if the pilots
cannot get employment. Kyari also noted
that some of the pilots lack the required
training and experience to be able to fit
into the requirements of the airlines. He
said it is a fact that many airlines are not
ready to spend their money on fresh
pilots.
“The nation is wasting resources to
continue to train pilots. If out of 500
trained and all of them cannot get
employment, it’s like government has
wasted resources in a wrong direction,”
Kyari said, adding: “Airlines are looking for
hands they can deploy immediately. I
don’t want state governments to continue
to spend people’s money for a group of
people. One pilot’s training can actually
train about 20 doctors.”
‘Airlines must employ Nigerian pilots’
Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria
(AON), Capt. Noggie Megisson said his
heart bled when he found out of the
young lady, who after completing the
required courses to become a pilot, is
now hawking recharge cards. He said
there are over 600 expatriate pilots in
Nigeria.
To address the employment challenges,
the various Bilateral Air Service
Agreements (BASA) the country signed
with various foreign airlines must be
reviewed to compel them to employ
Nigerian pilots.
Former director of Flights’ Operation of
the defunct Nigerian Airways, Capt. Dele
Ore told Daily Trust that the situation is
breeding accidents to happen in future, as
there is a shortage of young pilots. “Who
will fly these aeroplanes in another 10
years? If they are not working, it means
they are not gathering experience. If they
don’t have experience, it means they
cannot be commanders,” he said. He said
to address the problem, any airline
operating in Nigeria must be compelled to
employ and train Nigerian pilots.
“It is very easy to address. Any aircraft
operating in Nigeria must have on board
a Nigerian pilot either as commander or
co-pilot,” Ore said.
Also, rector of Ilorin International
Aviation College, Capt. Nuruddeen
Abdulmumeen said as long as airlines
continue to employ foreign pilots, the
unemployment problem would persist.
He said, unlike the situation in Nigeria,
Nigerian pilots hardly get employment in
a foreign countries. He said the regulatory
body has to implement a policy which
stipulates that any aircraft flying in
Nigeria must have indigenous pilots on
board, adding that Nigerian trained pilots
can fly anywhere in the world.
Abdulmumeen also said: “NCAA has
talked so many times. If I go to India now,
as a qualified pilot, I guarantee you, I
cannot get a job in India and no Nigerian
would get a job in India because they
have a policy that they cannot employ
foreigners as long as that aircraft is in that
country generating revenue, whichever
registration it is carrying, you must have
their nationals flying it. But in Nigeria, the
law is there but it is so weak that the
airlines don’t implement it.”
Government’s angle
When contacted, the Kano State
Commissioner for Information, Alhaji
Muhammad Garba, said 10 of the pilots in
question have been sponsored for
training with AZMAN Air. He said 10 of the
82 “have been employed and integrated
into the aviation sector.” He told Daily
Trust that government has paid for their
training and based on the agreement
entered with the management of AZMAN
Air, more pilots would be trained and
recruited by the company.
“This is a continued programme, and I’m
sure if they can exercise patience, all of
them will be trained under the
programme. Those that have been
trained have already started enjoying
their salaries from AZMAN Air,” Garba
said.
But attempts to speak to the SSG office’s
on the pilots’ conversion to teachers was
not possible, with SSG Rabiu Suleiman
Bichi said to have travelled to Abuja, and
could not be reached by telephone. He
also did not respond to text messages.
Another government official who declined
being named because he is not permitted
to speak on the matter, said the SSG’s
office “single-handedly” did the pilots
recruitment. “That recruitment was done
by the office of the SSG, not the Head of
Service, as it should be,” the source said.
commercial pilots in Jordan have been
converted to school teachers and civil
servants by the state government.
Investigations by Daily Trust revealed that
instead of sending them to Zaria Aviation
College for professional certification, the
pilots were deployed to Kano State
Secondary School Management Board
and Kano State Civil Service Commission
for posting to schools and ministries.
Multiple sources revealed that about 40 of
them were sent to secondary schools and
ministries of Finance and Land in July,
2015. However, those sent to schools
were not yet accepted, with
“irregularities” cited in their
appointments. While those in ministries
had resumed, they have not been paid
salaries ever since.
In March 2013, the then-governor Rabi’u
Kwankwaso’s administration awarded a
N1.1 billion ($6.7 million) special
scholarship to 100 young graduates from
the state for an 18-month professional
pilot training course at the Mid-East
Aviation Academy, Amman, Jordan. One
of the pilots who declined being named
for fear of victimisation said of the 100
graduates offered the scholarship, only 85
completed the course. He said 82 of them
are back into the country in batches while
three others are still in the aviation
college. The remaining 15 didn’t attend
the course for one reason or the other.
The Mid-East Aviation Academy is a flight
training organisation that offers courses
in pilot training, aircraft engineering and
avionics, and is certified by the Jordanian
Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, a
statement by Kwankwaso’s spokesperson
Malam Baba Dantiye said during a
ceremony held for the trainees before
their departure.
Though a pilot can still be trained in
Nigeria at N9 million or below, the
Kwankwaso regime sent them to Jordan
at about N11 million each. The
scholarship was coordinated by the office
of the Secretary to the State Government
(SSG). “Our vision is to equip Kano
indigenes to face the challenges of
globalisation and take advantage of the
local and international opportunities to
improve their lot,” Kwankwaso said. He
also added that the foreign training would
expose beneficiaries to best practices in
aircraft management in addition to
fostering a global citizenship.
‘Conversion to teachers, civil servants’
Multiple sources who spoke to Daily Trust
said the pilots require about N500 million
to undergo the second and last batch of
the training in Nigerian College of Aviation
Technology (NCAT), Zaria. According to
them, Abdullahi Ganduje administration
seems to be foot-dragging in footing their
bills. One of the pilots told our reporter
that the Kwankwaso administration spent
N11 million on each of the students for
the first training in Jordan, but they
require another type-rating license to
complement their study.
“Kano state government had spend N11
million for each one of the 100 students
for the duration of our study, that will give
you commercial pilot license. This license
is like a background, when you have this
license, you can fly as a pilot. But that is
not enough. For you to get this
commercial pilot license, you have to fly a
cumulative of 230 hours to qualify,” he
said, adding: “After this license, what you
then require to fly as a pilot is another
two-month training, called type-rating.
This is the bone of contention with Kano
State government. The Ganduje
administration has refused to pay for us
to undergo that training at the moment.”
The source also said the type-rating study
will enable them study specific types of
aircrafts ranging from Boeing 373, 747,
777 and Airbus A380, A320, A330, offered
in a number of European countries and
the United States. He said the cost of the
training is relative to the company and the
type of aircraft. But the cost is between
four to five million naira per trainee, he
said.
The source told Daily Trust that a majority
of them went to Lagos for a medical and a
Computer-Based Test (CBT) to enable
them have Nigerian licenses, which made
them eligible to fly in Nigeria. He said
Kwankwaso administration paid for those
who returned before he left office to go to
Lagos for the medical examinations. “They
sent us in batches of 10 and 15, after the
executive council’s approval. And that
continued, also, at the beginning of the
Ganduje administration,” he said. He
continued, stressing that the present state
governor was not unaware of the need to
undergo the second training, as some of
the students had once met him in Saudi
Arabia during lesser Hajj, when he was
the deputy governor and urged them to
put it in writing for onward transmission
to the then governor, which they did.
The source continued his narration:
“When we came back to Kano, it was the
election period and we found it difficult to
meet any top government official. After
Ganduje became the new governor, we
continued with our push to see the
governor, through the SSG’s office. And by
coincidence, the SSG has not been
changed, so he is aware of the situation
since his office is directly overseeing our
study. To be honest, the SSG’s office is
responsible for our present predicament,
as they told us that what was earlier
planned could not be realised, citing
change of government and that we should
be given (appointment) offers in
government ministries and government
schools before the government settles
and looks at our situation again.”
And that was what happened, as Daily
Trust checks showed. The source said:
“They collected our CVs and printed offers
from ministries and some from
secondary schools. We don’t know the
criteria they used in dispatching us. We
accepted, but up till now, there is no
word, since June/July of 2015.” The fear
of all the trained pilots, he said, as time
passes, so does the value of their license.
The students said after exhausting all
avenues to reach out to the governor,
they decided to take their matter to the
Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II.
Surprisingly, the state government came
out to deny knowledge of their return
from Jordan and also accused them of
trying to tarnish the image of the
government.
More than moonlighting
It was not clear whether Kwankwaso’s
administration had done a feasibility
studies before sending the graduates to
train as pilots. The question now is even if
these pilots are certified, who will employ
them? This is expedient because there are
about 600 pilots that are currently
unemployed in Nigeria.
Checks revealed that there are 7,103
pilots registered with the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority (NCAA). Out of this,
only 2,093 have current license while 93
have applied to revalidate theirs. A source
said the remaining number might be
those that are either unemployed, sick or
incapacitated.
Daily Trust spoke to some pilots who
resorted to selling recharge cards and
driving taxis to make ends meet. Marian
Macaulay (not real name), 25, completed
her course three years ago at the NCAT
where she bagged her Commercial Pilot
Licence (CPL) multi-engine certificate
which qualified her as a fully licensed
commercial pilot. Soon after graduation,
her passion for flying which actually
motivated her to enrol for the certificate,
became drenched as she is unable to get
a job.
Since her graduation, she has been
unemployed and in order to keep body
and soul together, she currently sells
recharge cards at the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport, Abuja. “I am a
trained commercial pilot with CPL multi-
engine certificate obtained from NCAT.
Since I graduated I have tried to look for
job in one of these airlines without
success. I just don’t want to remain idle,
that is why I resorted to the recharge card
business at least to keep body and soul
together,” she said.
Another unemployed pilot whose name
was simply given as Tunji was sponsored
by his father, who struggled hard to make
the dream of his child a reality by
sponsoring him until he became a fully-
licensed commercial pilot. But like many
of his colleagues who have gone through
rigorous training to become a pilots, Tunji
has found no aircraft to fly. Out of
frustration, he has become a taxi driver in
Lagos in order to assist his parents.
‘Misplaced priority’
The Executive Director of Centre for
Aviation Safety and Research, Engr. Sheri
Kyari said he would not support state
government to continue to use state
funds to sponsor few people to train as
pilots. He said such investment would
amount to waste of resources if the pilots
cannot get employment. Kyari also noted
that some of the pilots lack the required
training and experience to be able to fit
into the requirements of the airlines. He
said it is a fact that many airlines are not
ready to spend their money on fresh
pilots.
“The nation is wasting resources to
continue to train pilots. If out of 500
trained and all of them cannot get
employment, it’s like government has
wasted resources in a wrong direction,”
Kyari said, adding: “Airlines are looking for
hands they can deploy immediately. I
don’t want state governments to continue
to spend people’s money for a group of
people. One pilot’s training can actually
train about 20 doctors.”
‘Airlines must employ Nigerian pilots’
Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria
(AON), Capt. Noggie Megisson said his
heart bled when he found out of the
young lady, who after completing the
required courses to become a pilot, is
now hawking recharge cards. He said
there are over 600 expatriate pilots in
Nigeria.
To address the employment challenges,
the various Bilateral Air Service
Agreements (BASA) the country signed
with various foreign airlines must be
reviewed to compel them to employ
Nigerian pilots.
Former director of Flights’ Operation of
the defunct Nigerian Airways, Capt. Dele
Ore told Daily Trust that the situation is
breeding accidents to happen in future, as
there is a shortage of young pilots. “Who
will fly these aeroplanes in another 10
years? If they are not working, it means
they are not gathering experience. If they
don’t have experience, it means they
cannot be commanders,” he said. He said
to address the problem, any airline
operating in Nigeria must be compelled to
employ and train Nigerian pilots.
“It is very easy to address. Any aircraft
operating in Nigeria must have on board
a Nigerian pilot either as commander or
co-pilot,” Ore said.
Also, rector of Ilorin International
Aviation College, Capt. Nuruddeen
Abdulmumeen said as long as airlines
continue to employ foreign pilots, the
unemployment problem would persist.
He said, unlike the situation in Nigeria,
Nigerian pilots hardly get employment in
a foreign countries. He said the regulatory
body has to implement a policy which
stipulates that any aircraft flying in
Nigeria must have indigenous pilots on
board, adding that Nigerian trained pilots
can fly anywhere in the world.
Abdulmumeen also said: “NCAA has
talked so many times. If I go to India now,
as a qualified pilot, I guarantee you, I
cannot get a job in India and no Nigerian
would get a job in India because they
have a policy that they cannot employ
foreigners as long as that aircraft is in that
country generating revenue, whichever
registration it is carrying, you must have
their nationals flying it. But in Nigeria, the
law is there but it is so weak that the
airlines don’t implement it.”
Government’s angle
When contacted, the Kano State
Commissioner for Information, Alhaji
Muhammad Garba, said 10 of the pilots in
question have been sponsored for
training with AZMAN Air. He said 10 of the
82 “have been employed and integrated
into the aviation sector.” He told Daily
Trust that government has paid for their
training and based on the agreement
entered with the management of AZMAN
Air, more pilots would be trained and
recruited by the company.
“This is a continued programme, and I’m
sure if they can exercise patience, all of
them will be trained under the
programme. Those that have been
trained have already started enjoying
their salaries from AZMAN Air,” Garba
said.
But attempts to speak to the SSG office’s
on the pilots’ conversion to teachers was
not possible, with SSG Rabiu Suleiman
Bichi said to have travelled to Abuja, and
could not be reached by telephone. He
also did not respond to text messages.
Another government official who declined
being named because he is not permitted
to speak on the matter, said the SSG’s
office “single-handedly” did the pilots
recruitment. “That recruitment was done
by the office of the SSG, not the Head of
Service, as it should be,” the source said.
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