The suspended Azman Air has said that the recent press statement, which centred on the attack of Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was from one of its staff.
The airline in a statement by Muhammad Abdulmunaf, its Accountable Manager, said that the staff who felt the suspension of the airline for comprehensive safety audit by the regulatory body was due to its failure to advertise in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) magazine as canvassed by Nuhu who was then a Nigerian representative in the organisation, was responsible for the media statement without the knowledge and approval of the management.
The airline apologised to Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation and Nuhu and NCAA for any embarrassment the statement might have caused them.
The airline also insisted that there was no way it would have approved such a statement to be issued against Nuhu and NCAA, stressing that the regulatory’s conducts were still within its purview.
The statement read : ”On March 21, 2021, we issued a press statement expressing our surprise and shock at a publication credited to us in which the integrity and reputation of the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, came under attack as a result of the decision taken by the regulator to suspend our operations based on safety considerations.
“At the suspension of our services by the NCAA, an overzealous staff, who erroneously thought that the suspension was dictated by our failure to pay for the advert, without the knowledge and consent of management of Azman, authored the unfortunate allegations against the DG.
“We wish to unreservedly tender our apologies to both the person of Capt. Musa Nuhu and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. We state categorically that there wasn’t and, there is still, no iota of truth in the allegations which are capable of damaging the reputations of the DG and the NCAA. We equally extend our apologies to the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, for any embarrassment our actions may have caused him and the government.
“We regret every inconvenience caused the DG, NCAA, the Minister of Aviation and the aviation industry in Nigeria as a result of our publication of that falsehood. While we seek forgiveness for our actions, we promise to tighten our communication controls to avoid future embarrassing situation as this one caused by us.”
NCAA had on March 8, 2021, suspended the operations of Azman Air, citing several safety infractions by the airline.
The agency said the airline was an accident waiting to happen due to the series of serious incidents and numerous unprofessional conducts the airline involved itself in recent times.
