By Emmanuel Nduka
Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s new Aviation Minister, has directed that all arrangements under his predecessor, Hadi Sirika, including the planned Nigeria Air, have been put on hold, to enable proper audit of contracts.
The minister stated this on Thursday during a tour of aviation facilities at the Lagos airport.
He also disclosed that from October 1, all international airlines operating from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos would be moved from the old international terminal building, which will be shut down for repairs, to the new terminal building.
While promising massive reforms in the aviation sector, the minister, who also took a bus ride to inspect the perimeter fence of the airport, said his focus is on aviation safety.
It would be recalled that in June, veteran aviator, Girma Wake, resigned as Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines amidst controversy surrounding the establishment of Nigeria’s national carrier, Nigeria Air.
Heritage Times HT had exclusively reported how the former aviation minister fraudulently unveiled a proposed National carrier – ‘Nigeria Air’, just on the eve of the expiration of his appointment.
Earlier at the Lagos Airport, Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Capt Dapo Olumide, said the aircraft used to unveil the country’s national career was a legitimate chartered flight from Ethiopian Airlines, adding that the aircraft was returned to Ethiopian Airlines after the unveiling on the last day of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in May.
Also, Nigeria’s Parliament Committees on Aviation had both labelled the launch of the Nigeria Air as fraudulent.
