Against the backdrop of the general excitement and euphoria that greeted Federal Government’s announcement of the coming of a new national carrier soon and the angry public reaction to the government’s announcement of the suspension of the project, a meeting of aviation industry stakeholders and the public has been set up to address some of the issues, misinformation, allegations and opinions trending in the media in order to keep the public well informed on the status of the proposed national carrier prior to the suspension.
Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Abubakar Sirika, said the forum scheduled to hold in Abuja on Tuesday, October 23, this year will also enable the invited aviation stakeholders to hear government’s reason for the suspension of the take-off of Nigeria Air and any other issues pertaining to its take-off . Therefore, the decision to call the stakeholders meeting is a welcome development, more so, that it will enable the Minister of State for Aviation to fully brief aviation stakeholders and the nation on all issues pertaining to the take off of Nigeria Air.
It would therefore be unsavoury, inhuman and uncharitable for the Federal Government to venture into another airline business when it has not fully settled the severance and retirement benefits of Nigeria Airways staff that it liquidated some 14 years ago.
Government’s decision to suspend the debut of Nigeria Air soon after it was scheduled to be launched was seen by aviation industry watchers as a sign of government’s ill-preparedness for the new venture. Since implementation has always been the undoing of many good government policies and projects in the country, many people also saw government’s decision to suspend the project as another sign of a project doomed to fail even before it took off.
Recall that the severance and retirement benefits of hundreds of retired staff of the liquidated Nigeria Airways staff were unpaid until recently when the Federal Government looked into the plight of the ex-staff, many of who have died of hunger and illnesses after waiting unsuccessfully for upwards of 14 years for the payment of their retirement benefits. It would therefore be unsavoury, inhuman and uncharitable for the Federal Government to venture into another airline business when it has not fully settled the severance and retirement benefits of Nigeria Airways staff that it liquidated some 14 years ago.
It is a good thing that the Federal Government recently decided to tackle the issue of unpaid severance and retirement benefits of all staff of the liquidated Nigeria airways. Consequently, it must ensure that every money owed every ex-staff of Nigeria Airways is paid before any new commercial airline partly or wholly owned by the country is put into operation. Also, following the seizure of Nigeria Airways airplanes overseas by its creditors and their agents, the Federal Government must ensure that all monies owed such creditors overseas are fully paid so as to allow the new airline to operate without any encumbrance.
Recall also that 14 years after the liquidation of the Nigeria Airways, the African aviation industry has moved on. Following the signing of the SAATM initiative, otherwise called Open Skies Africa and the newly signed African Continental Free Trade, the aviation industry across Africa has drastically changed and has been thoroughly transformed.
The aviation industry is no longer business as usual. Intense competition has set in and any airline aspiring to excel in the new dispensation must brace up and be up to the task
ahead.
In floating the Nigeria Air, the Federal Government must take cognisance of the SAATM initiative, otherwise called Open Skies Africa and the newly signed African Continental Free Trade, both of which are very powerful initiatives that will promote and transform trade between African countries and will also ensure free movement of African people, goods, services, and capital across the continent.
Consequently, the proposed Nigeria Air must be robust, well funded, and responsive to its customers and be ready to compete in the coming stiff and highly competitive African air market. Since government is not a good manager of business, the Federal Government should own just a small percentage of the shares of the airline and the rest to private investors.
Going forward and whether it debuts now or later, Nigeria Air must be adequately packaged to be able to withstand the stiff competition in the global and African air market. In addition, its ownership must be widespread within and outside the country with little shares of less than 10 percent for the Federal Government, while the rest of the shares should be spread over private entrepreneurs within and outside Nigeria.
