The immediate past General Manager, Estate, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has said shortage of competent manpower can never be experienced in the service of the aviation agency.
Temlong gave the assurance on Friday while speaking with African Business Travel News (ABTN) on the sideline of a very beautiful sendforth party organized for him to mark his last day in the office as an employee of FAAN.
When asked how he felt about the gaps that may likely be created in FAAN as many notable professionals are leaving the service of FAAN after their mandatory periods of employment, Architect Temlong said: “as much as I grew with it, we thank God for what the management of FAAN is doing now, the issue of training and retraining is made a priority. The younger ones coming in and the ones that we are leaving behind are trained and retrained. Specific efforts are being made to train all the staff. I thing with the years, if there is any gap, but sooner than later, the gap would be filled up because the young people in the industry are learning.”
The former General Manager, Procurement who gave kudos to the management team under the leadership of Capt Rabiu Yadudu for prioritizing training and retraining programme for the staff of FAAN, however advised upcoming members of staff to show more interest in their jobs and ready to learn from their superiors to gain more knowledge and competence on the job even as he advised the seniors to mentor their juniors.
Temlong who graduated with Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Architecture from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria said he enjoyed every bit of his working career in the aviation industry especially with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations he met during his working career. He particularly noted that working in the aviation industry is interesting, challenging but most rewarding if one remains diligent on the job.
“You cannot avoid to be excited working in the aviation industry because you learn every day and the job is exciting.
My message to the upcoming members of staff is that hard work pays. They should work harder because nothing comes easy. It is wrong for the young man to think that everybody is on the fast lane, there is nothing that is easy if you want to enjoy whatever you are doing, you have to work hard. Be interested, work hard, learn, study your superiors, be respectful; be kind to your juniors, bring them along, Climb along and the place you would find is interesting and they
would enjoy their stay like we did,” Temlong counselled.
Recalling his 35 year career spanned from the time of Nigeria Airports Authority (NAA) to FAAN, the former General Manager Procurement, FAAN who said he had many memorable happy moments during his career however said that his only down moment was when some people started writing frivolous petitions against him and the FAAN because of the position he held.
” Honestly, for the enjoyable time,” Temlong recalled, “they were many; because having spent 35 years of working experience. Honestly, I would say the people I met and worked with people from different parts of the country. We met here and we have worked together and come up together like a family. That is the most one for me. There are people today who are more like family members to me. They pick up phone calls, we talk together. Even
when I leave service, we still relate like family. That is the most
interesting part for me – the human beings you met along the way,” however he said, “the sad moment, they came along. I happened to have being the General Manager Procurement and everyone knows what procurement activities are in the country. There are times where you cannot but go to the
investigating agencies sometimes because of petitions. Some of these
petitions are frivolous petitions. People just write and write and you
know what it is. Those are some of the down moments. Frivolous
petitions were written against me and the organization which we had togo and defend.”
On what he would want to be remembered for in the aviation industry, Architect Temlong said: “I wish to be remembered that I came as a young man, I saw and tried my best, worked with people who encouraged me and who were my success story. And I am leaving happily in good health with friends still around me.”
Speaking in the same vein, one of his colleagues who retired much earlier from the service of FAAN, Surveyor Remi Aroniwura said Architect Temlong showed commitment to his job, willing to assist younger ones to grow in their careers and worked without succumbing to the pressure of the job,
He added that the retired General Manager Estate would go to places after leaving office because the goodwill would open many doors for him.
“Arch Temlong is a very fantastic guy. He works with people very well
and quite friendly. The beauty of this guy is that you don’t see the
pressure of work in him even though he worked under very severe pressures. Quite admiring, he retains friends. We are professional
associates. He studied architecture at ABU while I studied survey at University Lagos. We actually met and worked together in FAAN but I retired much earlier. With this kind of attitude, I can assure you, Arch Temlong would go places. When I left office, the goodwill was what lifted me. I run my consulting services now, and I don’t have any doubt that he is going to do very well in retirement. Helps would come from where he never
imagined. Because he was there for everybody. He was down to earth.
Sincerely I wish him well,” Aroniwura commended.
