Tag: Nigeria Air

FG moves to float National Air carrier after failed attempts 

Aminu Imam
FG on Air Nigeria

After failed attempts to float national carriers in the past, President Bola Tinubu has mandated the newly appointed Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development,  to revive the ‘Nigeria Air’ project. Tinubu also directed the civil servants to use his positions to sanitise Nigerian airports. Kana disclosed this during a meeting with Heads of agencies of the Aviation Ministry and members of staff in Abuja. Kana, who disclosed this during a meeting with Heads of agencies of the Aviation Ministry and members of staff in Abuja,…

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FG duspends ‘Nigeria Air’ indefinitely – Keyamo

Aminu Imam
Nigeria Air

…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…

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EFCC arrests Sirika over alleged N8bn Nigeria Air fraud

Aminu Imam
EFCC arrests Sirika

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), has arrested former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over an ongoing N8,069,176,864.00 money-laundering probe. The indicted former Minister of Aviation arrived at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the EFCC yesterday.. Following his arrival at the anti-graft agency’s Abuja office, Sirika met with EFCC investigators to answer questions on alleged fraudulent contracts awarded by him to a company owned by his younger sibling. Impeccable anti-graft sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak, confirmed the…

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Suspended Controversial Nigeria Air: H/Reps summon Ex-Aviation Minister, Sirika, NCAA

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives has directed its Committee on Aviation to invite the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to brief it on the status of the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air, as of the time he left office. The former minister is expected to provide insights on a wide range of controversies surrounding the project. This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Tarkighir Dickson at plenary on Thursday.Presenting the motion, he said the former minister in 2016 proposed an aviation road map with national carrier as…

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“Nigeria Air to begin operations in October” – Ethiopian Airlines CEO

Aminu Imam

The new national carrier, Nigerian Air, will begin operations by October this year, according to reports from Bloomberg. According to the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines that owns a 49% stake in the airline, Mesfin Tasew, revealed in an interview with Bloomberg TV, yesterday, that the firm is eager to see Nigeria Air start flying local and international routes. Recall that Ethiopian Airlines, in 2022 won the bid to handle operations of the proposed Nigeria Air in controversial circumstances, after local players complained the company was handed an advantage during the…

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Ex-Aviation minister, Sirika in DSS’ net over Nigeria Air Launch

Aminu Imam

Former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika is being investigated by Nigeria’s secret police over the recent controversial “launch” of Nigeria Air. Sirika was in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday to answer questions over the controversial national carrier. It was gathered that Sirika arrived at the DSS headquarters in Abuja for interrogation in an SUV, and was reportedly grilled for several hours by DSS officials. The development comes after the acting Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Captain Dapo Olumide, told the Senate Committee on Aviation that the…

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Nigeria Air: EFCC probes officials, invites ex-Aviation Minister Sirika

Aminu Imam

Former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, has been summoned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), to explain the Nigeria Air project, which he claimed cost N3 billion, but is denounced as a scam by federal lawmakers. Sources said the EFCC will investigate the N3 billion spent, an amount some stakeholders insisted is actually more than N80 billion. A source told newsmen, “I can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation in that regard. “We have already questioned some officials of Nigerian Air. We have invited the former Aviation minister,…

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Nigeria Air: Aviation Stakeholders Claim Sirika Lied on Live Television

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

There is new twist to the Nigerian Air controversy as aviation industry stakeholders said the immediate Minister of Aviation; Senator Hadi Sirika lied on live television about his claims on the issue. Senator Sirika, had earlier in July 2018, unveiled the name and logo of Nigeria Air at Farnborough International promising that operation would begin within five months from that day. Sirika then said the airline would have flights on 81 domestic, regional and international routes. Barely two months after, Federal Government put the project on hold, asserting that it…

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“We launched Virgin Nigeria, but one of my successors drove Branson away” – Ex-Minister

Aminu Imam

A former Minister of Aviation, Isa Yuguda, has shed light on the events that led to the early demise of Virgin Nigeria. Founded in 2004 as a replacement for the then-defunct Nigeria Airways, Virgin Nigeria operated as a joint venture between Nigerian investors and British billionaire, Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. However, a feud with the Federal Government led to the Virgin Group pulling out in 2009. This prompted the airline to be renamed Nigerian Eagle Airlines and later Air Nigeria. The business ultimately ceased operations in 2012. Yuguda, who was…

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House of Reps declare Nigeria Air launch a fraud, vows probe

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives has declared the purported launch of Nigeria Air at the twilight of the administration of former President, Muhammadu Buhari, a fraud. Recall that the immediate-past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had on Friday, May 26, brought in an aircraft branded Nigeria Air. A Boeing 737-800 with registration number ET-APL, mode S Q4005C, and serial number 40965/4075, was displayed by the outgone Minister as belonging to Nigeria Air. Sirika had said the aircraft was one out of 30 aeroplanes expected to form the fleet of national carriers…

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