The House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to constitute a high-level presidential committee to undertake a holistic review of the process of the Nigeria Air project.
On Tuesday, Dapo Olumide, acting managing director of Nigeria Air, told the Senate committee on aviation that the aircraft presented by officials was hired by the aviation ministry from Ethiopian Airlines to unveil the national carrier’s logo.
Nnolim Nnaji, the chairman of the aviation committee, said this in Abuja after careful evaluation of the issues of Nigeria Air.
He said the committee was dissatisfied with the actions of the former aviation minister Hadi Sirika, in going ahead to flag off the operations of Nigeria Air despite a standing court injunction against such.
Mr Nnaji said this was also without any provision for sustaining the airline’s operations.
The legislator said a careful review of the process indicated the exercise to be highly opaque, shrouded in secrecy, shoddy and capable of ridiculing and tarnishing the image of Nigeria before the international community.
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“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,” stated the house committee chair on aviation.
Mr Nnaji explained that 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.”
The federal legislator, however, said such a process should be transparent and all-embracing, adding that the committee would not accept any attempt by any individual or group to hide under the project and siphon the commonwealths of the country.
The committee, therefore, directed the federal aviation ministry and its partners in the Nigeria Air project to immediately suspend flight operations and every other action concerning Nigeria Air.
The committee also advised that the aviation ministry, with its agency, the NCAA, designate some local airlines as carriers to take advantage of Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA).
The agreement was said to have been entered by Nigeria, pending when a viable National Carrier comes on board.
“In conclusion, looking at the total amount required to fully start the airline, which is put at $250,000,000, the Nigerian government and its citizenry can raise these funds without necessarily subjecting itself to the ridicule we have been exposed to by this recent episode,” Mr Nnaji stated. (NAN)
