Nigeria Air’s debut has drawn criticism from the Senate Committee on Aviation, which claimed that the project was cloaked in secrecy.
During a meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Emmanuel Meribole; the Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Capt. Dapo Olumide; and the heads of aviation agencies, the Committee members aired their reservations over the unveiling of the national airline.
The immediate previous minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika, hurriedly introduced a national carrier on the final day of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which raised questions during the meeting from the chairman of the Senate Aviation Committee, Senator Biodun Olujimi.
He said that the plane used for the launch was an actual chartered flight from Ethiopian Airlines, and that the airline returned with its own plane after the unveiling.
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The Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, also mainly denied knowledge of the launch and refares that the launch of Nigeria Air is a hoax during a stakeholders meeting in the aviation sector.
Capt. Dapo Olumide said in response to the Committee that Nigeria Air was just unveiled and not launched because it was to show Nigerians that the idea is not an aberration.
The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation eventually adopted the following resolution after significant debate:
The Committee after careful evaluation of the issues on deliberation is totally dissatisfied with the actions of the former Minister of Aviation, Sen, 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 Airline 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 organization to hide under the project and siphon our commonwealths.
Consequently, the Committee hereby resolves to:
1. Direct the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its partners in the Nigeria Air project to immediately suspend flights operations and every other actions with respect to the Nigeria Air;
2. Urge our new President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR the President and C-in-C, 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 advice the government on the way forward.
3. Ensure that all individuals, or groups, or organization involved in the controversial shenanigan named “Nigeria Air Take-Off” are brought to book, prosecuted and sanctioned.
