NEMA Gets New Director-General

AVM Muhammadu Alhaji Muhammed (retd), the Newly Appointed NEMA’s DG

NEMA Gets New Director-General

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Air Vice-Marshal Muhammadu Alhaji Muhammed (retired) as the New Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria (NEMA).

Muhammed’s appointment was announced in a statement issued by Willie Bassey, the Director of Information in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, today.

Bassey said the appointment took effect from Thursday, April 30, 2020, “for an initial period of four years in accordance with Section 3 of the National Emergency Management Agency Act”.

The erstwhile NEMA DG, Mustapha Maihaja, has been directed to hand over all official matters to Muhammed immediately.

The President thanked the out-gone Director-General for his services and charged the new appointee to serve with diligence and commitment.

Maihaja’s four year tenure would have elapsed by April 2021, but his time at the disaster management agency had been dogged with series of controversies and allegations of corrupt practices which were widely reported.

The sacked NEMA DG had also been embroiled in crisis with his local chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC in Yobe as well as the House of Representatives which accused him in 2018 of mismanagement of resources as well as inefficiency.

A parliamentary Committee was put in place to investigate the release of N5.9 billion Food Intervention in the North-east, N3.1 billion Food Intervention in the same region, release of N1.6 billion for Libyan returnees, release of N1.6 billion Flood Intervention for 16 states and donation of 6,779 Metric Tons of rice by the Chinese Government. 

It was gathered that the retired Air Vice Marshal Muhammadu Alhaji Muhammed from Maiduguri, Borno State was a former Chief of Policy and Plans at the Nigerian Airforce before his retirement.e

He enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1981 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in 1985. Muhammed did his primary and basic flying courses at 401 and 403 Flying Training Schools, Kaduna and Kano respectively. Subsequently, he completed Tactical Fighter Training at 117 Air Combat Tactical Group, Kainji. 

AVM Muhammad served as Military Assistant to the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Airways from 21 January 1997 to 16 January 1998. He also served as Security Officer, Wing Chief Administration, Fleet Training Officer and Fleet Captain Air Force One (Boeing 737 BBJ) between 26 January 2000 to 4 February 2013 at the Presidential Air Fleet. At HQ NAF, the officer served as Deputy Director Policy, Director of Transformation and Chairman Air Exposition and International Liaison between 4 February 2013 to 8 January 2015.

He was also the Senior Air Staff Officer at the Headquarters Training Command, Managing Director of Nigerian Air Force Investments, Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command and Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command prior to his appointment as the Air Secretary.

AVM Muhammed holds BSc degree in Political Science and MSc degree in Strategic Studies. He also has Limited Combat Rating and United States Federal Aviation Administration License as well as Nigerian Civil Aviation Air Transport License with 5,566 flying hours. Air Vice Marshal Muhammed has flown several aircraft types which include: Air Force One (B737 BBJ), Alpha Jet, Gulf Stream 550, Dassault Falcon 900, Citation Jet, L39 ZA and Bulldog 123.

His decorations include General Service Star, Pass Staff College and Fellow Defence College among others. The senior officer is married and blessed with 5 children. His hobbies include reading, football and horse riding.

Additional reports by PRNigeria and Channels Television