Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has insisted that Nigeria Air will fly before the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari ends.
He said this Wednesday while fielding questions from State House reporters after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Sirika said all arrangements had been put in place for the take-off of the national carrier.
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When asked if Nigeria Air was still feasible about one month to the end of the administration, the minister said;
Nigeria Air Limited, I did say that we will get it going before the end of this administration and I have not withdrawn my words. We have everything in place, the aircraft are in place, the offices, operational centres, the staffing and everything that we need to have in place. We’re doing the last-minute checks and waiting for the issuance of the AOC and it will fly.
It will fly, it will be for the benefit of this country, for the size of population, the travelling public and what it does to the economy, especially to tourism, to African integration and to the AU Agenda 2063. It’s a very important project and I must say it will happen before the end of our tenure in the next four weeks and two days.
Challenge From Operators
However, the domestic airline operators had under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) challenged the equity structure of the airline which cedes 49 per cent stake to Ethiopian Airlines with federal government having only 5 per cent while the remaining 46 per cent is for Nigerian investors.
The AON reminded the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of the pending injunction against the issuance of Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC) to Nigeria Air.
The AON through its counsel, Nureni Jimoh, warned the regulatory authority to desist from further processing of the AOC to avoid running afoul of the law.
It also asked the regulatory authority to stop dealing with the minister of aviation or the ministry and its agents.
The incorporated trustees of AON comprising Azman Air, Air Peace, Max Air, United Nigeria and Top Brass Airlines had filed a suit at the court to stop the national carrier project, while challenging the shareholding structure giving Ethiopian Airlines a controlling share of 49 per cent.
The court presided over by Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa in November 2022 granted an order of interim injunction stopping the execution of the project.
After “Careful consideration of the application and submission of counsel, the court granted an Order of interim injunction restraining the defendants either by themselves, agents, privies, principals or any other persons whosoever from the proposed executing or draft “National or carrier establishment and agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria (represented by the 3rd and 4th defendants) and the strategic equity partner (the 2nd defendant) or giving effect to and or suspending the sale and transfer of the shares & operations of the 1st defendant by the 2nd defendant pending the determination of the motion on motice.”
The suit has, however stalled the take-off of the project.
But in a letter directed to the NCAA DG dated April 19, 2023, under a SUIT NO. FHC/L/CS/2159/20, with the title: Notification of court orders and signed by Abubákar Nuhu Ahmad Esq, the counsel reminded the regulatory of the pending order.
The letter read;
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos presided by Hon. Justice A.L Allagoa, in the above suit, granted orders of interim and interlocutory injunctions, in the terms contained in the order, restraining taking of any step in relation to the Nigeria Air project. Copies of each of the orders enclosed as Annexures 1, 2 &3.
