Fakoyejo OlalekanThe Nigerian Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, at the weekend, disclosed that the Federal Government has placed order for 20 petrol-aircraft for the commencement of Nigeria Air.
On Friday, during a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, was quoted as saying that nine of the ordered aircraft have been delivered.
But James Odaudu, the Special Adviser to the Minister on Public Affairs, said this could be a confusion associated with the nine aircraft procured for training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, because the Nigeria Air, as a business, is not ready to take delivery of aircraft. ”There is a confusion with the aircraft procured for training at the NCAT. Or is it part of the deliberate misinformation on Nigeria Air”?, asked Odaudu in an exchange with Prime Business Africa on Saturday evening.
Odaudu confirmed that NCAT recently took delivery of nine aircraft for training, in a move he said was to ‘reduce cost.’
He said: ”I can confirm to you that nine new aircraft were received at NCAT for training but those aircraft are light and not for commercial purposes.” Government, with its five percent stake in the Nigeria Air project, has not concluded agreement with Ethiopia Airlines on the project. So, who is delivering which aircraft to who in Nigeria Air?”, Sirika’s aide queried.
Gbajabiamila had, during the meeting with Minister Sirika at the National Assembly complex about the process leading to setting up of Nigeria Air, stated that “there are issues that need clarification.”
The Punch had in its report quoted Minister Sirika as having explained that there’s no cause for worries, as stakeholders were carried along in the establishment of the national carrier, which is expected to kick-start operation in December.
What Sirika told Gbajabiamila:
The report further quoted Sirika as saying: “When I came in as a minister, we didn’t arrogate to ourselves knowledge and wisdom. We believe in the stakeholders on whose behalf we are serving. Having been made minister, I came out with a road map, which, in my little wisdom, will help transform civil aviation in Nigeria.
“I ran it through the system within the Ministry and we commissioned some consultants to conduct a market survey and see where we are as an industry at that time. We set out to concession our airports not to privatize but to concession the airports.
“We also set out to put a proper airline the size, capacity, dynamics and the population and the markets and the complexity of the nation, Nigeria and also set out a leasing company and develop the cargo terminals and so on.”
Sirika explained further, “When I came to the House of Representatives, I found out that the Act that was signed by Jaja Nwachukwu in 1963 was the Act that we were using charging pounds and shillings in 2003. We hurriedly, as we were departing in 2007, got the civil Aviation Act passed in 2006 with some imperfections.
“There were some important roadmaps and to God be the glory that today we have done what we thought is good as an Act. So, all these roadmap items are private-sector-led and driven. It’s, intended, to do the framework and the foundation and steer it in such a way that it will be beneficial to the people and make it a private sector initiative to which the government has some interests, understanding the civil aviation in value addition, improving the GDP and jobs.
“The national carrier (Nigeria Air) is in the works and we have advanced significantly just yesterday, Mr President in concluding the retreat has directed that this airline must work between now and December. And it will work by God’s grace.
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“We have ordered 20 brand new training aircraft that use petrol. So far nine have been delivered. All these in the national carrier efforts.”
According to the minister, both investors and technical partners have been secured, so Nigeria’s national carrier will start operation before the end of the year.
“We have so far from all the submissions identified the partners, and the investors and we are currently negotiating and processing the AOC.
“We are twerking the business case in such a way (that) it will give us an advantage and set in the most efficient manner. So, I want to commit here by the grace of God, between now and the end of the year, the airline will work,” Sirika said on Fiday.
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