Immediate past Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Mukhtar Usman has passed on in a Kaduna hospital where he was rushed to after he complained of a minor ailment.
A family source in Kaduna who pleaded anonymity, disclosed to our correspondent that the former head of the nation’s aviation regulatory body had just returned to Kaduna after a private visit to Lagos where he met with professional and business associates.
According to him, ” It is a big blow and loss to the family and aviation community in general .
” The death of captain came at a time he was planning of having a well deserved retirement from rigorous task of aviation regulation and business.
” As you’re aware he was for over five decades in the sector a pilot who rose from first officer through commitment to duty, diligence and professionalism to becoming a captain with a standing record of thousands of flying hours in both domestic and International flights, ” he stated.
Chairman of Chanchangi Airlines, Alhaji Musa Ahmadu Chanchangi while expressing his sadness over the loss of the aviation expert, said Capt Usman was an authority in the field whose contributions in ensuring a safe , professional and a global standard aviation industry in Nigeria and beyond would be highly missed.
He was our pilot in our glorious era when chanchangi Airlines had a decade of air dominance of scheduled passenger and cargo flight operations in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
” He was a stickler to professionalism , excellence and commitments to service delivery anchored on standard aviation procedures as domesticated here in Nigeria aviation regulation benchmark.
” As DG NCAA , he brought enduring and far-reaching reforms which have helped in positioning Nigeria’s aviation on a global standard.
” I must use this medium to express my heartfelt sympathy to his family, friends and the aviation family in general. I pray the heavens receive his soul. ” Chanchangi said.
Captain Usman will buried in Kaduna today Wednesday December 2 , 2020 .
According to a family source of the deceased , he would be taken to Sultan Bello Mosque , Ungwan Sarki where funeral prayer and supplications would be said in his honour before taking to his final resting place in the cemetery.