Nigeria Air Project: Labour Union leaders differ over 70,000 jobs projection
…..It’s an exercise to enrich individual pockets — LASG NLC Chairman
By Tobi Adetunji
The duo of the President Air transport Services Senior Staff Association, Comrade Danjuma and the Chairman Nigeria Labour Congress Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Adelakun have expressed divergent views over proposed Nigeria Air Project slated to kick off April 2022.
Speaking exclusively with Nigerian NewsDirect on Thursday, the President Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association, Comrade Danjuma applauded the Nigeria government for the development, noting that projected seventy-thousand job creating capacity of the national air carrier is not just welcome development in terms of job creation and prosperity, it will also project the country in good light.
According to him, “Well, the national carrier has always been something we have been clamouring for especially for the image of the country internationally. But most importantly, for job and wealth creation, it’s a process we have been supporting over time praying and hoping that it will come to reality.”
He added that being a member of the committee advancing the course the national carrier, it’s a giant step by the federal government.
In his words, “It’s a welcome development, I’m a member of the committee working toward the realization National Air carrier. When it was suspended, we are not happy when the project was suspended.”
Highlighting the benefit of the national carrier as central to the masses though will be driven majorly by the private sector initiative, he asserted that, “The road map was clear from the outset that the national carrier is going to be private sector driven. And it can only get better when it’s private sector driven in operation. The statistics to me is not bad, because the forty-six percentage stake will be eventually owned locally will signify the interest of Nigerians. While the government holds 5percent stake is not a bad idea.”
In a complete panoramic view, the Chairman Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Adelakun, noted that Nigeria Air Project may not be in favour of the masses. And in the end will be beneficial to few individuals.
He said, “It’s better said than done, you know Nigeria has a way of presenting laudable project or policy. But what of the implementation, because the problem we have in this country is that of implementation.”
Going down historical lane, he noted, “The former President Olusegun Obasanjo left thirty-one aircraft of Nigerian Airways. Where are those thirty-one aircraft today? Meanwhile countries like Kenya don’t have up to that. If we can mismanage thirty-one aircraft, what are talking about today?”
He was of the view, “At the time corruption had not gotten to this level, if we cannot maintain those ones or scrap the old and ensure we buy other new ones ones, what are talking about?”
Speaking further, he said, “They just want to use the project to enrich some people’s pocket, before you know it now, you will hear that the National Assembly has set up a committee to visit Germany, India, to look for aircraft and thereafter some billions of naira will be spent at the expense of the masses.
“What they are doing is just to enrich some people not for the common good of Nigerians.”
Recall that on Wednesday, the Federal government said, it’s set to create over 70, 000 jobs for Nigerians through the operation of Air Nigeria planned to lick off in April 2022.
The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, made this known when he briefed with Ministers of Transportation, and Finance, Budget and National Planning, Rotimi Amaechi and Dr Zainab Ahmed, respectively, briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the FEC meeting.
Yesterday’s Federal Executive meeting was presided over by President Muhammad Buhari in the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Sirika revealed that majority shares of 49 per cent of the Nigeria Air project would be owned by strategic equity partners, 46 per cent by Nigerians while the Federal Government would have five per cent of equity shares.
During his press briefing, the Minister further disclosed that FEC approved N1.49 billion for the provision of Automated Civil Aviation Regulatory Equipment to be located at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
In his words, “Today in Council, Ministry of Aviation presented two memoranda. The first one is approval for the award of contract for the provision of Automated Civil Aviation Regulatory Equipment, including the software support and training, which will be located at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“In summary, this is the software that will allow all of the activities of civil aviation regulations to be done electronically on one platform, including payments, follow-ups on personnel licenses, medicals, economic regulation of airlines, safety regulations of airlines and all other businesses within the envelop of civil aviation, will be monitored by this single software. So, that has been approved.
“This one also is the approval of the Outline Business Case for the establishment of the National Carrier. This is the sixth time the memorandum appeared before the council and sixth times got lucky to be passed by council.
“The structure of the proposed airline – Federal Government would be owing not more than five per cent. So, five per cent is the maximum equity that government would take.
“Then, 46 per cent would be owned by Nigerian entrepreneurs. So, if you add that is 51 per cent. So, 51 per cent majority shareholding by Nigerians.
“And then, 49 percent will be held by strategic equity partners or partners will be sourced during the procurement phase, which is the next phase.”
The minister revealed that Nigeria Air, when operational, would generate over 70,000 jobs, saying “these 70,000 jobs, they are higher than the total number of civil servants that we have in the country.”
