NIGERIA AIR: a monumental fraud, an affront to the judiciary- PBAT intervention imperative

1sr right: Mr. Hadi Sirika, former Aerospace & Aviation Minister, in tete a tete at the unveiling of Nigeria Air, Abuja, 26th May 2023.

The national assembly has described the entire processes and procedures towards the establishment of a national airline startup named NIGERIA AIR, a monumental fraud and an affront to the nation’s judiciary by the former Minister for Aerospace and Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika.

Hence, the federal legislators made a fervent appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, PBAT, to urgently constitute a high-powered presidential committee to conduct a forensic investigation into the project by reviewing the entire processes leading to the purported launch of the airline on Friday, 26th May 2023, and accordingly advice the government on the best modus operandi for bringing the national airline to fruition.

The House of Representatives Aviation Committee also expressed disgust at the effrontery of the former Minister of Aerospace & Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirka, who against a subsisting injunction from the temple of justice, and with no known counter pronouncement from any court of competent jurisdiction vacating the interlocutory injunction, went ahead and conducted the launch.

Those were the fallouts from the House of Representatives Aviation Committee members’ meeting with the Permanent Secretary, Aerospace & Aviation Ministry, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole. Also present was the Managing Director Designate, Nigeria Air, Capt. Dapo Olumide, as well as heads of aviation agencies.

Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator ‘Biodun Olujimi, expressed surprise at the rush to unveil Nigeria Air, when the promoters knew they were not ready and by that action got over 200 million Nigerians thoroughly deceived.

The House of Representatives Aviation Committee Chairman, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, said he widely consulted with aviation experts on the desirability of the Nigeria Air launch on 26th May 2023 and came to the conclusion that the exercise was a monumental fraud and the processes and procedures leading to the launch, a sham.

Nnaji noted with dismay that none of the experts he consulted who were highly respected industry players, and genuine patriots, knew anything about the launch hence, the event merely succeeded in thoroughly embarrassing Nigeria as a nation and her citizens.

Explaining the rationale for the appearance and immediate disappearance of the aircraft put on display on the last workday of the last regime, Nigeria Air’s Managing Director designate, Capt. Dapo Olumide, disclosed that the aircraft put on display was not to launch the airline but to unveil the livery of an aircraft.

Olumide further explained that the unveiling was done with a legitimate chartered flight from Ethiopian Airlines and after the unveiling, the airline went back into service for its owner, Ethiopian Airlines.

He, however, made a pathetic revelation that the much-touted national airline, Nigeria Air, was still not near the level to start commercial service as concrete hurdles to surmount, being the precondition to procuring the much coveted Airline Operator’s Certificate, AOC was yet to be done and as such, Nigeria Air, for now, cannot operate as an airline in Nigeria.

Capt Olumide who also formerly presided over the defunct Air Nigeria which was harvested from the botched Virgin Nigeria deal denied the rumour of 26th May 2023, that tickets were sold and the Ethiopian registered Nigerian Air aircraft on display airlifted passengers to Addis Ababa.

Olumide without mincing words said the people seen in the aircraft and wrongly referred to as passengers were, staff of Ethiopian Airlines that flew in momentarily with Nigeria Air, -or, perhaps, – (sic mine) with the aircraft, (although it arrived with Nigeria Air inscribed, but Ethiopian registered) and at the end of the unveiling, they returned with their aircraft to Ethiopia, revealed Capt. Olumide.

The committee however issued a stern directive to the Federal Ministry of Aviation, and personnel recruited or contracted and functioning at the legal entity registered as Nigeria Air, its partners, and consultants on the project to immediately suspend all actions and engagements of any guise with respect to the Nigeria Air.

The legislators charged the proposed presidential investigation panel to ensure that everyone, individuals, corporate organizations, or groups, involved in the prank named “Nigeria Air Unveiling” are subjected to the wrath of the law of the land since Nigeria is a sovereign state guided by its constitution and a set of extant laws guiding civic and commercial business transactions.