Two former Directors of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Messrs Samuel M. Gaiya and Musa Garba have petitioned the House of Representatives alleging that their appointments were wrongfully terminated by the Managing Director Dr. Harold Demuren.

Gaiya, Director of Legal Services and Garba, Director of Administration and Corporate Affairs alleged that they were left redundant and later sacked by Demuren through an unlawful restructuring of the Authority. Mr. Gaiya said while he had put in nine years in the aviation sector, Mr. Garba served for 28 years.

"Throughout the period, we never received any query (written or verbal), admonition or any form of sanction whatsoever. Neither had we been made to appear before a disciplinary committee", the petitioners said, a claim that was not disputed by Mr. Demuren", Gaiya said in his petition.

In the petition, Gaiya and Garba accused Demuren of harbouring ill will against them by what they said was his perception that they must have been the ones who had advised the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Mr. Felix Hyatt to relocate the Headquarters of NCAA to Abuja to the consternation of the Demuren.

The relocation of NCAA to Abuja last year has been a very controversial one among officials of the Authority. While, many argued that it was in line with global practice to site the head office of a Civil Aviation office in the political capital of every country, those in opposition said the relocation would disrupt many services and that the cost was not worth it. It was based on this premise that two petitioners alleged that Demuren had always resented their perceived closeness with the Minister who had gotten a Presidential approval to move NCAA to Abuja.