Mohammed Shosanya
Minister of Aviation,Senator Hadi Sirika and airline operators in the country are currently locking horns over the take-off of national carrier at the eleventh hour of the outgoing administration.
The government had insisted that Nigeria Air plane will arrive the country tomorrow,Friday,while the operators see such moves as unwarranted on the ground of pending legal hurdles surrounding the birth of the national carrier.
Speaking to Channels Television on Wednesday, the Minister said a Nigeria Air aircraft will land in the country on Friday as part of processes to commence operations and unveiling of the delivery process.
He also assured that the plane will be unveiled in Nigeria’s colours in fulfilment of the promises made by the administration in the aviation sector.
He added:“On the question of Nigeria Air, on Friday in two days, Nigeria Air plane will land in Nigeria as part of the processes to commence operation. We will on that day unveil this aircraft, the livery and everything in Nigeria’s colours, belong to Nigeria Air and we will proceed to go and do the retrofit and bring back those aeroplanes.”
The Minister, however, said that the only incomplete item is the aerotropolis, which is the airport city and is 60% complete.
He disclosed that the groundwork has been completed and that the next administration is expected to conclude work on the airport city.
But,Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON),in a statement on Thursday, said that the last minute attempt by the Minister to force a national carrier is a call for anarchy.
Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, its spokesperson, said that the actions being taken by Sirika were in flagrant disobedience of the orders of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, which halted the move.
According to him, it was necessary for AON to respond to the statement of Sirika due to the myriad of inquiries from concerned, patriotic Nigerians and industry stakeholders who had expressed concern over the minister’s comments to commence the new national carrier by Friday, May 26, 2023, which is the last working day of the current administration.
The body welcomes the establishment of more airlines in Nigeria,but against any contraption that is shadowy and not in the best overall interest of the country,he quoted in the statement.
The statement added: “We need the outgoing minister to come forward, defend and counter the very damning submissions in our suit.
“Again, it is very disturbing that a minister is desperately hoodwinking the entire nation into accepting a massively flawed process just 72 hours to the end of his seven-year tenure in office as Minister of Aviation, even as the courts have halted him.
“Stakeholders are worried that his actions may create problems for the incoming government of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.”
AON said that the government of Tinubu should not be blackmailed into accepting a contraption that would hurt the Nigerian economy and destroy millions of existing jobs in favour of a few individuals and a foreign country.
It maintained that Sirika was aware of the different court orders against him and Nigeria Air, reiterating that he was courting a charge of contempt of court with his action.
The group added that the process of acquiring Airline Operators Certificate(AOC) for Nigeria Air was still at stage one of the exercise, contrary to the minister’s statement that process had reached the last stage – phase five.
It declared that the world was watching the regulator, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on the Nigeria Air and its AOC process, adding that the NG Eagles’ flawed AOC issuance was equally a matter that would be tackled in the future.
“The government should understand that the actions and pronouncements of this minister is not only impugning on the independence and integrity of the NCAA, but also capable of bringing the entire industry into disrepute, thereby adversely affecting the ratings of Nigeria’s airlines on the global stage.
“The minister cannot order these certification processes by fiat. Therefore, an aircraft flying into Nigeria and bearing Nigerian colours does not change anything.
“Furthermore, the fact that the minister has just a few more days left of his time in office, makes it necessary that promoters of the airline, if they exist, other than Sirika, should be talking to Nigerians, telling them what they ought to know and answering relevant questions about their stakes in Nigeria Air,” AON said.
It clarified that until the order was vacated, the Ministry of Aviation cannot proceed with any action towards the airline.