On Tuesday, Capt Dapo Olumide, Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air, stated that the aircraft used to launch the country’s national career was a genuine chartered flight from Ethiopian Airlines.
He stated that the plane was returned to Ethiopian Airlines following the unveiling.
This was declared by Olumide before the Senate Committee on Aviation.
During a discussion with Olumide, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Emmanuel Meribole, and leaders of aviation agencies, Committee members expressed reservations about the introduction of the national carrier.
Senator Biodun Olujimi, Chairman of the Senate Aviation Committee, questioned why the immediate former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, rushed to unveil a national carrier on the penultimate day of the Muhammadu Buhari government.
Nnolim Nnaji, Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, has also stated that the inauguration of Nigeria Air is a sham.
He asserted this after meeting with aviation stakeholders who mostly denied knowledge of the launch.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Aviation stated that Nigeria Air was merely unveiled and not yet operational.
Responding to the Committee, Capt Dapo Olumide stated that the purpose of launching Nigeria Air was to demonstrate to Nigerians that the initiative was not a fluke.
RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSE OF REPS COMMITTEE ON AVIATION
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 Airlines 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.
