By Kingston Magare
President Bola Tinubu has suspended the Air Nigeria project, which has generated controversy during the dying days of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika had gleefully announced the arrival of Air Nigeria with a borrowed Ethiopian Air aircraft on May 23, 2023. According to the equity shares arrangement, Ethiopian Air had 49 percent stake, the federal government had five percent and a consortium of three Nigerian investors had 46 percent. But aviation experts faulted the deal, saying it was a rip-off on Nigeria and its people.
Speaking during a media chat Monday in Abuja Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr. Festus Keyamo, said the project has now been suspended indefinitely .
“It remains suspended. It was never Air Nigeria. It was not Air Nigeria. That’s the truth. It was only painted Air Nigeria. It was Ethiopian Airlines trying to flag our flag,” Keyamo said.
“If it is so, why not allow our local people to fly our flag. Why bring a foreigner to fly our flag? So nobody should dispute that it was Air Nigeria.
“It was never Air Nigeria, it was Ethiopian trying to flag our flag. It was not Air Nigeria. That is the truth. It was not Nigeria. It only printed Air Nigeria. It was an Ethiopian airline trying to fly our flag. If it is so, why not allow our local people to fly our flag. Why bring a foreigner to fly our flag?
“So nobody should deceive you that Air Nigeria, Air Nigeria must be indigenous, must be wholly Nigeria or must be for the full benefit of Nigerians, not that 60 per cent of the profit is given to another country. How does that benefit us? It remains suspended. It remains so.”
