December deadline: Hope dashed as 14.6bn Nigeria Air fails to begin operation
By Seun Ibiyemi
Despite the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to Aviation Ministry to ensure commencement of operation by the new national carrier, Nigeria Air before the end of 2022, 14 days to 2023, there are indications that the deadline cannot be realised.
Investigation by Nigerian NewsDirect revealed that the craft, cabin crew, pilots for the project are not available as at the time of filing this report.
Recall that the president had said at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Ministerial Performance Review Retreat in Abuja that “In line with the outcome of the panel session on Priority 4 (Improve Transportation and Other Infrastructure), the Ministry of Aviation is hereby directed to conclude and ensure the take-off of the National Carrier Project before the end of the year.”
This is coming several months after the Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, said the country’s proposed national carrier would take off by April 2022. However, with many challenges gripping the sector, it has missed the deadline.
Ethiopian Airlines (ET) consortium was recently selected as the preferred bidder for Nigeria Air after scoring 89 per cent out of 100 in the technical bidding process and 15 out of 20 as regards financial bids.
The Airline is to own 49 per cent of the national carrier.
Giving details of the deal in September, Mr Sirika had said: “The Nigerian investors are MRS, SAHCO and the Nigerian Sovereign Fund (46 per cent), FGN owning 5 per cent and ET 49 per cent.”
The Minister reported that the Federal Government had spent less than the budgeted amount for the project. He also said that Ethiopian Airlines won the bid for the Airline as it met the bidding evaluation criteria and the deadline.
Nigeria Air will be launched with three Boeing 737-800 in a configuration very suitable for the Nigerian market. It was also revealed that the Airline would be owned by a Nigerian private investor consortium.
The Airline has already begun its recruitment process for captains and crew members. According to the Aviation Minister, Nigeria Air would have an initial capital of $300 million and 30 aircraft within four years.
Several years after the liquidation of Nigeria’s former national carrier, Nigeria Airways, the Buhari administration has insisted on commencing a new one.
The government has also said the new air carrier, unlike the previous one, will not be wholly owned by the Nigerian government and will not be managed by the government.
Also recall that a Federal Hight Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos sued an Order of Interim Injunction restraining the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Attorney General of the Federation and other defendants from executing the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air.
This was after the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said that no rational court can stop the airline as it is a Limited Liability Company.
Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa after hearing the submission of Nureni Jimoh, SAN, with Abubakar Nuhu Ahmad Esq. counsel for the Plaintiff/Applicant move in terms of the Motion paper granted the injunction.
The injunction read, “The Court after careful consideration of the application and submission of counsel ordered as follows: 1. That an Order of Interim Injunction is granted restraining the Defendants either by themselves, agents, privies, Principals or any other persons whosoever from drafting the proposed executing “NATIONAL CARRIER ESTABLISHMENT AND AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA (represented by the 3rd and 4th Defendants) and the strategic equity partner (the 2nd Defendant) or giving effect to and or suspending the sale and transfer of the shares & operations of the 1st Defendant by the 2nd Defendant pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.
“That an Order of Maintenance of Status Quo by all parties in this suit from taking any further step(s) in relation to the subject matter of this suit pending the determination of the Motion on Notice is granted.
“3. That an Order of Accelerated Hearing of this suit is granted.”
In reaction to the development, the Chief Executive Officer, Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, John Ojikutu said that “when he (Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika) came up and started talking this thing in 2016/2017, what did Buhari say? He said he wants to see the report of how Nigerian Airways was killed, that was his language. How the airways was killed before he can approve, have they given him any report on that? Have they showed him how the Nigerian airway was killed?
“Where is the aircraft, where are the pilots, I don’t believe all these things. I have already told Hadi Sirika since 2019, this thing cannot work the way it is going.
“When you say it is 91 per cent complete, what is the difference between 91 per cent and 8 per cent? Is the 8 per cent the air craft? If they have the aircraft, let them bring it, Let them advertise for the pilot.
“How many aircraft are they bringing inyo the country is it one, is it 10? How many pilots do they need? If they bring in one aircraft, you will need minimum of eight crew. Where are the technicians, engineer, have they recruited them? Are they hanging?
“There are so many things that are going on apart from the fact that the way they came about it. If they want to classify as a flat carrier, that’s okay. You have 5 per cent (as a country), another country has 49% and you call it a national carrier. Does it make sense?
“The one that is MRS is part of it. 60 per cent of MRS is owned by foreigners. We don’t know the names of the foreigners. SAHCOL is part of it, 78 per cent of those who owns it belongs to only one person. The one of MRS, 60 per cent belongs to one person. Is that a national carrier? I don’t know why Sirika is just behaving like this?
“If you want to buy shares, buy shares, go to government to collect designation to be a flat carrier. Like somebody said, Buhari doesn’t have an idea of what is happening behind him, he is just in a hurry to go.
“For me, that is not a national carrier, it’s a private airline. Nigerian Airways was a national carrier, towards the years about five, five years, it became a government carrier. Initially, even this one too was going to look like a government carrier till it came up with what you said now that this is not even a government carrier or national carrier, it’s a private airline.”
Also, the Acting Rector for International Aviation College, Ilorin, Captain Yakubu Okatayi, said that “if you want a national carrier, the Federal Government doesn’t have to run it that they can invest in it, but they don’t have to run it.
“You will put professionals to run and manage it, don’t just say we want to put this man because you know him. Advertise the position, whoever is capable to do it, let him in and do it.
“Personally, I don’t think the December deadline is achievable.”
