The Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative (CAACASVI) has said that the sacking of the immediate past director-general of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi, was not due to corruption but politics.
The Executive Director, CAACASVI, Olumuyiwa Onlede, told newsmen on Thursday in Abuja that though there were petitions reportedly filed against him at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mashi has been cleared of all corruption allegations by the anti-graft agencies.
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According to him, the clarification became necessary in order not to weigh down the morale of public office holders in their capacity, especially in the face of massive developments witnesses in NIMET under Mashi.
“Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi, as the DG of NIMET also represents Nigerian at the world scene as Executive Member of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Upon his appointment in Jan, 2017 to oversee an agency that was not really doing much, he realised the need for new ideas and innovation and also the need to do things differently if the aviation sector must experience her desired safety.
“In that quest, NIMET in the last three and half years has experienced massive infrastructural growth nationwide to facilitate optimum service delivery,” Onlede said.
He listed some of the projects as provision of meteorological instrument in the enclosures nationwide, upgrade of infrastructure in Kaduna, improved wireless communication system within and between observation stations and forecast offices, replacement of UHF radio receiver for standalone lightning/thunderstorm detectors in airports and upgrade of meteosat second generation satellite (MSG) reception facilities in forecast offices.
He also listed the replacement of analogue with digital anemometers in airport and other stations nationwide, construction and equipping of clinic at the RTC Oshodi Lagos, the first of its kind in the 65 years old history of the center, establishment and equipping of numerical weather prediction and data management laboratories, installation of 102 Automatic weather observation station. (AWOS) in the agency, and commissioning of weather stations in many universities, for example, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Bayero University Kano among others.
Speaking on the political reasons, Onlede said that the Katsina State politics, especially the coming 2023 governorship election in the state, was obviously a major reason why Mashi was removed after pressure by his political adversaries.
He said, “It will be recalled that various petitions to anti grafts agencies like EFCC and ICPC calling for investigation of the immediate past director general of Nimet was adequately honoured by the anti-graft agencies and vigorous investigation was launched into his activities as the chief accounting officer of the agency.
“But after investigation, the allegations were found to be lacking in merit. Even in our capacity as Civil Society Organisation, we also independently engaged the agency and conducted investigation in a bid to ascertain the true state of things in relation to the petitions and media reports, but all those were discovered to be totally untrue,” Onlede said.
He said that contrary to media reports and insinuations, Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi was not removed from office due to fraud allegations or unfair practices.
He also urged the newly appointed Director General to maintain the momentum of change and development that was initiated by Mashi as anything short of that will only take Nigeria aviation sector back to the old days of lack of safety as witnessed some decades ago.
He said, “We also urge the immediate past DG to avail himself whenever been called upon to serve in any capacity.”
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