The House of Representatives Tuesday called on President Bola Tinubu 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.
The Green Chamber declared that the launching of ‘Air Nigeria’ at the twilight of the administration of Muhammadu Buhari was a fraud.
The declaration followed the denials by the relevant agencies of the federal government and regulators in the aviation sector as well as private partners of being involved in the exercise.
Authorities such as Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission as well as an investor, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc, distanced themselves from the launching at an investigative hearing organised by the House Committee on Aviation in Abuja,
The parliament asked President Bola Tinubu to suspend the process and probe those involved with the aim of prosecuting them.
The lawmakers also urged Tinubu to ensure that all individuals, or groups, or organisations involved in the controversial shenanigan named ‘Nigeria Air Take-Off’ are brought to book, prosecuted and sanctioned.
The Chairman of the committee, Nnolim Nnaji, consequently declared the flag-off a fraud.
His words: “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.”
The chairman added that while the committee, and indeed the parliament, was not opposed to Nigeria having a national carrier, saying having a national carrier was highly desirable to Nigerians and the country, 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 organisation to hide under the project and siphon our commonwealths,” he noted.
The committee, therefore, directed the Ministry of Aviation and its partners in the Nigeria Air project to immediately suspend flights operations and every other action with respect to Nigeria Air.
The committee also urged President Bola Tinubu 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 advise the government on the way forward.”