WINDHOEK – After much speculations, Bisey /Uirab has been confirmed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the beleaguered Namibia Airports Company (NAC) which has been without a substantive CEO for about two years.
/Uirab’s appointment was officially announced yesterday in a joint press conference by Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, the Minister of Public Enterprises, Leon Jooste, and NAC Chairman, Dr Leake Hangala.
“At this time and stage where NAC is finding itself, Mr /Uirab is expected to provide leadership. Leadership of the highest quality that is strong on integrity and character. The leadership that entails clarity of vision, entrenched teamwork, discipline and efficiency. Indeed leadership that is focussed on implementation,” said Hangala whose announcement was met with rambunctious applause and ululation among NAC staff members.
/Uirab, whose five-year term as the CEO of Namibia Ports Authority comes to an end next month, was headhunted, with Mutorwa’s permission, for the top NAC position through a private recruitment agency. His recommendation as the preferred candidate was approved by Cabinet on Tuesday this week.
“Mr /Uirab has distinguished himself to be one of the great and experienced Namibian corporate leaders and his addition to the NAC family is befitting,” Hangala added. He continued the country’s airports are in urgent need of maintenance and said he expects a strategic or business plan to be developed as soon as possible by NAC.
At the announcement made at Safari Hotel and Conference Centre, Mutorwa thanked the NAC Board of Directors for a very fair, professional and transparent recruitment process, noting the NAC Board handled the process as a united entity.
“The Namibia Airports Company is no more a crawling and crying baby who must constantly require the attention and assistance of his or her parents,” said Mutorwa. The works and transport minister added that the maintenance and upgrading of the country’s airports must be an ever-present item on the capital budgets of both the works and transport ministry and the NAC.
Accepting the top job, /Uirab, who will assume the new position on May 01, 2019, told the gathering that he is taking the role of CEO as a servant of the people and emphasised that NAC and its airports are the first and last windows for visitors to Namibia. “We need to create a conducive working environment and we want to ensure that visitors and airport users have a memorable experience,” said /Uirab.
He continued that the NAC needs to raise sufficient revenue to be self-sustainable and stated that the company needs to ensure that it complies and adheres to all industry and international regulations and standards.