How Kwara Govt Appointed Drug Baron, Fraudster As Aviation College Rector

The International Aviation College, Ilorin was established few years back as a centre of excellence, which will provide trainings for the personnel needed in the highly technical aviation industry. The school has not actually derailed from this line, but one development that might rubbish the achievements of the school was revealed to us last week by those who should know.

First Weekly Magazine and firstweeklymagazine.com exclusively gathered that the new rector of the college, Captain Abdulmumini Abdulkarim is a total misfit for the highly sensitive job and that he has many skeletons in his cupboard.

Sources revealed to us last week that apart from the fact that Capt. Abdul did not have the required flight hours that could qualify him as a captain in the industry, he was once labeled a drug baron, while working with the defunct Nigeria Airways, which allegedly led to his exit and that he is a fraudulent character. We got a roller coaster report of his shady past and character as a person last week.

One of our sources, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that Captain Abdulkarim’s rise to the top was suspect and that he is a round peg in a square hole as far as the college is concerned

He maintained that Abdulkarim’s record in the Nigeria aviation industry is full of corruption, adding that he is a total misfit for the plum job.

Another reliable source, who spoke to us on the phone anonymously, stated that there was nothing to hide about the dirty past and character of the college rector.

“He was a drug baron; there are some claims that he didn’t even have experience of teaching any aviation student before he was made the rector of the aviation college. The whole thing still surprises many of us. He didn’t get the required captainship qualification, because before you are made a captain, you must have 1500 flight hours. He didn’t have that and he was made the rector of an aviation college,” he said.

According to the source, “Captain Abdulkarim graduated from Ilorin as a commercial pilot, if you join Aero Contractor, for instance, they would send you for further training on the aircraft they operate because no training school operates those aircrafts, you will now join an airline, which will train you on the airline they operate. The training school will then give you certificate as a trained pilot. When you go for that training, you must check out on that airplane by going through their routes and all that, I don’t think he checked out in Nigeria Airways,” he stated, while wondering where Abdulkarim get the required 1,500 flight hours.

He also told us exclusively that Abdulkarim was involved in stealing in the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State, which led to his exit from the college years back.

“There is this diesel meant to be used for generators, he connived with generator attendants and he was caught, and suspended, when he was investigated and found guilty, but he never went back to the college. The Chairman of the panel that tried him was an Ilorin person, one Alhaji Tunde Yahaya and they found him guilty and he was suspended for stealing several litres of the college diesel. Probably he became the rector of the Ilorin International Aviation College as a son of the soil,” he said.

In a petition written to the Nigerian senators and members of the Federal House of Representatives, some concerned Nigerians wondered ‘why the Kwara State Government is supporting a criminal like Abdulmumini Abdulkarim and even making him the Acting Rector of International Aviation College, Ilorin, when they know that he is not qualified.’

In the petition, which was made available to First Weekly Magazine, they accused the Kwara State Government of playing politics with human lives and ‘compromising safety by employing people, who are not capable as the Head of Training, Chief Flying Instructor, Chief Ground Instructor and making the bursar and registrar of the college principal officers without any aviation background just in the name of employing incapable indigenes of the state.’

They accused the state government of employing half baked Indians, when there are capable hands, who can do the job better in Nigeria.

“Why did they sack the pioneer flight Instructor, why is one Mr. Katikay Garasia (CPL-6377) bringing his family members to International Aviation College to take the job of Nigerians with the permission of Capt. Abdulmumini Abdulkarim (his wife younger brother is already working at IAC for over 3 months without work permit and qualification and two more Indians out of 5 expected have already arrived),” they said in the petition.

They said that Capt. Abdumumini (ATPL-3544) should ask the people he paid over N22 Million kickback collected from the college account for the Nigeria Airforce Cadet Pilot Training Program for which NAF paid N14 Million per cadet for a CPL program, which is normally N10.6 Million per student, describing it as ‘fraud at its height.’

“Capt. Abdulmumini should give account and be investigated for the purchase of 3 aircraft (5N-BRC, 5N-BRD, 5N-BRM), he bought for the Kwara State Government, which one of them crashed within 7 months. Who made Abdulmumini Abdulkarim a captain). Where did he get the required hours. Who trained him and who checked him out as captain,” they stated.

They alleged further that Abdulmumini has fired over 10 staffers and got into fight with almost all of the staffers of the college in just six months he has been acting, adding that Captain Fola Akinkuotu was there for 18 months and that every staff was almost crying, when he left.

“Capt. Abdulkarim is a bad influence on all the students of the college. How can the Kwara State government allow a drug addict and fraud like Capt. Abdulkarim to manage International Aviation College?” they asked.

The International Aviation College, Ilorin began operations in 2006 with the express purpose of offering aviation training to meet the serious shortages of aviation personnel on a global level, but more especially in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. Its short courses include Human factors, Crew resource Management (CRM), Safety Management System (SMS), Leadership and team Building in Aviation, ICAO English- Rating and Teaching.

However, a source close to the embattled rector denied the allegations made against him. He described those spreading the negative reports as disgruntled elements ‘who are jealous of the achievements of the rector within few months.’

He maintained that Abdulmumini Abdulkarim is a man of good character, who has the requisite experience for the job and who has been taking the college to the next level, adding that ‘he is a qualified flight captain and a man that can bring back the lost glory of the college.’

Culled from First Weekly Magazine