NASS Mandates President Tinubu To Probe Nigeria Air’s Aircraft Unveiling

NASS has mandated President Tinubu to probe Nigeria Air’s Aircraft fraudulent unveiling.

 

NewsOnline reports that the National Assembly has called on President Bola Tinubu to set up a committee to probe the controversial unveiling of Nigeria Air’s aircraft in Abuja by former Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika.

 

The Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, said that it was necessary for the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency constitution a high-powered presidential panel undertake a holistic review of the Nigeria Air project.

 

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The aviation committee also recommended that all individuals, groups, and organisations involved in the controversial unveiling and operation into Nigeria of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft painted in Nigeria Air livery, belonging to Ethiopian Airlines be made to face prosecution.

Why the presidential panel of Inquiry is Necessary

The committee further emphasised the need for the proposed presidential panel after a careful review of the entire project to advise the Federal Government on the way forward.

The committee came up with the resolutions after evaluating the submissions by all the stakeholders and that of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Dr Emmanuel Merebole who in his presentation admitted that the airline had not been launched, but that the aircraft was chartered to test Nigerians’ acceptance of the project.

Merebole also told the committee that Nigeria Air had not acquired any aircraft and that it had no Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), which the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) Capt. Musa Nuhu .also corroborated.

Other controversial revelations

In his submission, the Managing Director of Skypower Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), Basil Agbosrimi, confirmed that the handling company was yet to acquire shares in the national carrier.

The second named Nigerian institutional investor in the project, MRS, did not turn up for the meeting just as Ethiopian Airlines also abstained from the committee.

The committee equally established that the shareholders’ agreement was yet to be executed, which made it impossible to establish the funds being brought into the projects by all intended investors.

Nnaji had during his opening statements stressed that the purpose of the interaction was to prepare a guide for the incoming 10th Assembly to continue, adding that the committee was not opposed to the establishment of a national carrier, but would want it transparently done.

He said it was regrettable that Sirika failed to carry the parliament along in the entire arrangement despite promises of supplying the committee with details of the transactions.

He. however, praised the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for refusing to bend the rules in favour of Nigeria Air, urging the authority to remain steadfast in its oversight of the industry.