Lawmakers ask Tinubu to prosecute those behind the purported launch of Nigeria Air

MEMBERS of the just-dissolved House of Representatives have asked President Bola Tinubu to probe the purported launch of the national carrier Nigeria Air just days before the end of the Buhari administration saying the exercise was highly fraudulent.

In April, aviation minister Hadi Sirika, assured Nigerians that Nigeria Air would commence operation before May 29 when President Muhammadu Buhari would leave office. Speaking at the National Aviation Stakeholders Forum 2023 in Abuja, the minister stated that the national carrier would commence local and international flights before the May 29 handover between the Tinubu and Buhari administrations.

Just days before the end of the Buhari administration, an aircraft painted in the colours of Nigeria Air was presented is Abuja as evidence that the airline was up and running,. It has now been revealed that the while process was a ruse with the aircraft actually being hired from Ethiopian Airlines and has since been returned.

Nigeria Air was launched amid a lot of fanfare in 2018 at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK, with the government promising to establish a national carrier that could compete with other successful African airlines. However, the project has been dogged by controversies since it was launched, preventing its take-off.

Just before Nigeria's ninth House of Representatives dissolved itself today, members called on President Tinubu to suspend the process of launching the airline and probe those involved with the aim of prosecuting them. At an investigative hearing organised by the House Committee on Aviation in Abuja, authorities such as Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission as well as an investor, Skyway Aviation Handling Company, distanced themselves from the recent launch.

Hon Nnolim Nnaji, the committee chairman, said: “The committee, after careful evaluation of the issues on deliberation, is totally dissatisfied with the actions of the former minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirka, in going ahead to flag off the operations of Nigeria Air despite a standing court/injunction against such and without any provision for sustaining the operations of the airline. We are equally irked by the role played by Ethiopian Airlines in this whole process. It does not speak well of the excellent brotherly relationship existing between our two nations.

“A careful review of the process indicates the exercise to be highly opaque, shrouded in secrecy, shoddy and capable of ridiculing and tarnishing the image of Nigeria before the international community. We want to put on record that the committee and indeed the National Assembly, had no role in the purported launch of Nigeria Air or anything related thereof.

 “While the committee and indeed the parliament, is not opposed to Nigeria having a national carrier, as a matter of fact having a national carrier is highly desirable to us as a people and Nigeria as a nation, however, such a process should be transparent and all embracing. We as a committee would not accept any attempt by any individual or group of individuals or organisation to hide under the project and siphon our commonwealths.”

Consequently, the committee resolved to direct the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its partners in the Nigeria Air project to immediately suspend flights operations and every other action with respect to the airline. The committee also urged President Bola Tinubu to as a matter of urgency constitute a high level presidential committee to undertake a holistic review of the processes of the whole Nigeria Air project and advise the government on the way forward.

In addition, the lawmakers also urged President Tinubu to ensure that all individuals, or groups, or organisations involved in the controversial shenanigan named Nigeria Air Take-Off are brought to book, prosecuted and sanctioned. Then the committee advised the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the relevant agencies to designate some Nigerian indigenous airlines as flying carriers to take advantage of Bi-lateral Air Services Agreements entered into by Nigeria, pending the launch of a viable national carrier.