Akin Olateru, the former Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), has opened up on the challenges he encountered while in office.
According to Olateru, while carrying out his assignment, he lost his marriage and received death threats.
Olateru, who described the job as a very tough one, said he did not envy the new person taking over from him.
Olateru spoke during a short hand-over ceremony to the new DG, Alex Badeh jnr.
Naija News recall that Olateru was appointed in January 2017 as Commissioner of the then Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) which has metamorphosed into NSIB with an expanded mandate to investigate air, rail, maritime and land transport accidents.
President Bola Tinubu, however, sacked him last week and immediately appointed Badeh as his replacement.
Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Olateru said he was leaving NSIB far, far better than he met it.
However, he said this did not come without making enormous sacrifices which cost him his marriage
Olateru said, “This is a journey we started January 17, 2017, it’s been a long walk but one thing I can say is to give Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth, all the glory. It was a tough one. We went through so much.
“I personally went through so much because this job is not an easy one so I don’t envy him. To people that don’t know I lost my marriage in the course of work.
“I received death threats many times because I was trying to do the right thing. That is why it is very important to thank God for this journey.”
He apologised to members of staff who he might have offended in the course of doing his work, saying sometimes he might be a bit bullish as “a result-driven” individual.
He said, “I am sorry. It is just because of work, nothing personal, we are still going to be friends, family. I don’t believe anything is not possible and that was the spirit when the ICAO team came recently.
“Money was an issue and everybody thought we were going to fail but we did so well, we scored 89 per cent and we made Nigeria proud.
“From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank you all for the support you have given me and I am appealing to you to give the new DG the same support.
“We need to work as a team to succeed. You need all that cooperation to work as a team, as a family. Nobody is perfect, I am not perfect. Please work with him with the same spirit you have worked with me and I believe he would prioritise all staff issues.
“Some people got government’s job, they ended up in jail. Some people got government’s job, they ended up in a mortuary. I am here standing and I am happy I am leaving NSIB far, far better than I met it. I used the position to grow people, to build the institution, to give Nigeria a better name.”
Badeh promised to carry on from where the former DG stopped to deepen safety in the aviation sector in line with the five-point agenda of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
