Nigeria’s Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have thrown their weights behind the suspension of the controversial Nigeria Air project by the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Festus Keyamo.
The minister during his tour of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, announced that he had ordered the suspension of the Nigeria Air and the airports concession projects to enable him study them and advise President Bola Tinubu correctly.
According to the minister: “Am totally responsible to the feelings of Nigerians, we have not cancelled anything, we have only suspended somethings that people complained about, we must be responsive to the feelings of Nigerians.
“If something is good but it is not transparent because the Nigerian people must know the processes by which you give out their commonwealth, nobody owe all of these not myself, not Asiwaju not anybody, it is the commonwealth of Nigerians and so Nigerians must be aware of how you give out their commonwealth to individuals in the name of concessioning , they must be aware not strounded in secrecy.The National Assembly who are oversighting us those who are representing the Nigeria people too let them know through you that this process was transparent and that we got the best deal for Nigerians.
“And that is why I have directed that all of those concession should be suspended until I brief Mr. President.”
The Nigerian airlines under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had dragged the government before the high court in Lagos urging the court to stop the take off of the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air following lack of national interest and the disadvantaged positions it put the indigenous carriers.
Reacting to the suspension of the Nigeria Air project, the AON in a letter issued by its spokesman, Professor Obiora Okonkwo commended the minister for suspending every activity pertaining to the operationalisation of Nigeria Air.
According to Obiora, the domestic airlines remain confident that by suspending the Nigeria Air project to give room for a thorough review, the minister will put things right and help restore Nigeria’s image in the global aviation family.
With this action of the minister, AON said the minister has displayed a rare courage and great patriotism to save Nigeria from further embarrassment in the aviation world.
The airlines say, they have no doubt that the new Aviation Minister has the right vision for the development of the sector which is driven by public interest considerations for the good of Nigerians.
“Aside from stakeholders in the aviation industry, it was evident to everyone who had followed developments around the Nigeria Air project under the immediate past administration that the idea was not only ill-thought-out but also lacked any modicum of transparency.
“It was therefore no surprise that the House of Representatives
Committees on Aviation which investigated the process and purported launch of Nigeria Air on Friday, June 2,
2023 described it as a ‘fraud’”.
The AON statement emphasized that, it remains a puzzle to Nigerians why the processes of actualizing such a major national project was shrouded in
secrecy until the end of the last government.
“AON continues to believe that it is not right to float a national carrier on the terms set out by the last Aviation
Minister, which would undermine, even destroy, the aviation sector in Nigeria with Ethiopian Airlines waiting
on the wings for total takeover.
“Again, the AON commends the Minister for the great leadership he has shown so early in his tenure and pledge
our unalloyed support in his quest to reform the aviation sector and implement other components of the aviation”.
