Nigeria Air Unveiling Is Like Naming Ceremony Without Child, Investor, SAHCO, Slams Minister

Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), an investor in Nigeria Air, criticised the handling of the national carrier by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

According to the representative of SAHCO, Boye Oyewumi, the unveiling of Nigeria Air by Sirika is like a naming ceremony without the birth of a child. 

Recall that days to the end of his tenure as minister of aviation, Sirika unveiled an aircraft, reportedly belonging to Nigeria Air. It was later revealed that the aircraft was hired from Ethiopian Airlines, another investor in the national carrier. 

Oyewumi told the House of Representatives committee on aviation during an investigative hearing on Tuesday that SAHCO wasn’t made aware of the unveiling. 

He revealed that the unveiling of Nigeria Air was discovered by SAHCO on national newspapers and social media platforms. 

“Even as stakeholders, we were not even aware of the unveiling. We saw it in the newspapers and social media. We were not consulted,” Oyewumi said, adding that, “We got an invitation to come and sign a shareholders agreement after the unveiling.” 

The representative of SAHCO, which owned 15% shares of Nigeria Air, said the national carrier was politically driven. 

Prime Business Africa reported earlier today that the spokesperson of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Obiora Okonkwo, said Nigeria Air was dead on arrival. 

Recall that Sirika unveiled Nigeria Air without obtaining the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), which is the final license to fly. The application for the license was rejected by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Okonkwo said: “We are not interested in any other thing other than to protect the aviation ecosystem, to maintain the integrity of certificate which is the alter ego in airline operations which is AOC. 

“If anything was done to affect the integrity and credibility of AOC process in Nigeria, it would affect the entire operators. 

“So, for us, the DG NCAA is a hero of this project. He deserves a national honours award because we were aware from inside sources that they were subjected to tremendous pressure.”