FEC not divided over Nigeria Air – TheNigerialawyer

The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Friday said
the Federal Executive Council was not divided over the mode of
implementation of the national carrier project called Nigeria
Air.

Sirika said he believed that the Minister of Transportation,
Rotimi Amaechi, was misquoted in media reports that quoted him
(Amaechi) as saying that FEC was divided on the mode of
implementation of the project.

Amaechi had stated at his valedictory press briefing in Abuja on
Thursday that members of the federal cabinet had different beliefs
and positions as regards the establishment of a national carrier
for Nigeria, but was quick to state that the project had not been
abandoned.

Amaechi said, “On national carrier, (the) cabinet is divided on
the issue of modality. There are those who believe that the Federal
Government should invest and then we can sell the equity later.

“There are also those who believe that no, and from day one they
say let us get investors in and give them the franchise of Nigeria
Airways or Air Nigeria or whatever it’s called. That is where we
are and that is what held it down. But as for whether it is still
in our plan, it is and has not been abandoned.”

But a statement issued on Friday by the Deputy Director, Press
and Public Affairs at the Aviation arm of Ministry of
Transportation, James Odaudu, stated that Amaechi must have been
misquoted.

The statement read in part, “It is the belief of the Minister of
State for Aviation that the Minister of Transportation was
misquoted by the media in this respect, as the Federal Executive
Council is one cohesive body that cannot be divided over any
issue.”

According to Sirika, the Nigeria Air project had the full
support of the council which deliberated on it and approved it.

He stated that consequently, President Muhammadu Buhari directed
that the Viability Gap Funding for the project be provided for in
the 2019 Appropriation, adding that the National Assembly had
graciously done that.

The aviation minister said he regretted the media mix-up and
assured the general public, and, more importantly, the prospective
partners and investors, that the Nigeria Air project was fully
alive and on course.

Recall in September 2018, we reported that the suspension of the
planned commencement of operations of Nigeria Air by the Federal
Government.

Although no reason was given for the suspension at the time the
project was suspended, it was gathered then that the national
carrier initiative had been put on hold in the interim.

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