…Says project fraudulent
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has described the controversial national carrier: ‘Nigeria Air’ unveiled by the immediate-past Muhammadu Buhari-led administration as a fraud, stating that it remains suspended indefinitely.
Keyamo disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen during the second day of the ‘Ministerial Sectoral Update’, which was held yesterday in Abuja to mark President Bola Tinubu’s one year in office.
The Minister declared that the Nigeria Air project remained suspended, adding that it was anti-Nigeria.
Giving details about that project, Keyamo noted that the ‘national carrier’, which was supposed to be an indigenous project, and one that was supposed to spark hope for Nigerians, was flawed, with a lot of secrecy and fraudulent activities.
“It was never Air Nigeria; it was Ethiopian trying to fly our flag. It was not Air Nigeria. That is the truth. It was not Nigeria. It only printed Air Nigeria. 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 must be indigenous, must be wholly-Nigeria, or must be for the full benefit of Nigerians, not that 60 percent of the profit is given to another country. How does that benefit us? It remains suspended. It remains so”, he stressed.
Speaking further on some of the steps so far taken to boost economic development in the aviation sector, Keyamo highlighted the commencement of cargo flights, noting that it will enable Nigeria to tap into the $6 trillion global cargo market.
He added that the issues surrounding the second runway at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport were addressed within just two weeks of his appointment as Minister, promising enhanced airport capacity and operational efficiency.
Speaking further on his achievements, Keyamo confirmed that all trapped funds of foreign airlines have been cleared, adding that the current administration under his leadership as Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister have made efforts towards prioritising and assisting local airlines.
He further disclosed that the move was to help the country take full advantage of its reciprocal right under the BASA agreement with various countries.
He added that the open sky operation with the United States have began operation, explaining that Nigeria would begin to enjoy unrestricted number of flights to the US, deployment of any kind of aircraft on those routes, and multiple entry points.
