There are palpable tension in the nation’s maritime sector as the minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Sen. Hadi Sirika, is adamant in birthing the Nigeria Air despite many controversies surrounding the project.
Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), have kicked against the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace (FMOAA), continued process to birth the national carrier in disobedience of the orders of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Nureni Jimoh, had written a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), saying the proposed Nigeria Air must not be allowed to begin operation on Friday.
The protest letter signed by Abubarkar Nuhu Ahmad, the lawyer who is a solicitor to the AON, accused the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, of planning to violate a subsisting court order by allowing Nigeria Air begin operation on Friday, May 26, 2023.
The letter titled, ‘Nigeria Air Project, Last Minute Planned Disobedience to Court Order And Deliberate Plan to Rubbish the Achievement of this Administration’, the law firm, said Sirika chose the last working day of the administration to bring in two aircraft in contravention of a court order.
However, AON in a statement signed by its spokesman, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, a court order had halted the said moves by the minister of aviation to float the said airline until the determination of the substantive suit brought by AON against it.
He, however, said that the Aviation Minister was aware of the different court orders against him and Nigeria Air but was still courting a charge of contempt of court as he is not above the law and can not freely disregard the courts.
“We make bold to respond because of the myriad of inquiries from concerned and patriotic Nigerians and industry stakeholders who have either called or sent messages over the Minister’s comments”.
According to the AON spokesman, the body welcomes the establishment of more airlines in Nigeria but against any contraption that is shadowy and not in the best overall interest of the country.
He called on the outgoing Minister to come forward, defend and counter the damning submissions in their suit.
“Hadi Sirika knows that until the order is vacated, the Ministry of Aviation cannot proceed with any action towards the airline”.
The AON stated that, the Minister and promoters of Nigeria Air, that the process of acquiring Airline Operators Certificate(AOC) for Nigeria Air is only at the Stage one, contrary to his televised statement that the Nigerian Air AOC process was at the concluding Stage five.
They added that, the world is watching the regulator, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on this Nigeria Air and its AOC process.
“Again, it is very disturbing that a Minister is desperately hoodwinking the entire nation into accepting a massively flawed process just 72hours to the end of his 7-year tenure in office as Minister of Aviation, even as the courts have halted him”.
The statement also noted that, the government should understand that the actions and pronouncements of this Minister is not only impugning on the independence and integrity of the NCAA, but also capable of bringing the entire industry into disrepute thereby adversely affecting the ratings of Nigeria’s airlines on the global stage.
“The minister cannot order these certification processes by fiat. Therefore, an aircraft flying into Nigeria and bearing Nigerian colours does not change anything.
“The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not be blackmailed into accepting a contraption that would definitely and ultimately hurt the Nigerian economy and destroy millions of existing jobs in favour of one or two individuals and a foreign country by this hurried last minute desperation”.