As reactions to the saga of Nigeria Air continue, the Managing Director/CEO, Airline Management Support Limited (AMSL), Captain David Olubadewo, has stated that the violation of court order in the inauguration of the Nigeria Air as the nation’s national carrier depicts lawlessness which presents a wrong signal to the international community.
Olubadewo also said it is a classic case of somebody breaking another’s rule in another country, saying Ethiopia came to Nigeria to break the law.
Contrary to a court injunction, Nigeria Air was inaugurated by the immediate past minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, few days to the end of the last administration, under a shrouded private public partnership involving an equity of 5 per cent to Nigerian government, 15 per cent to Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO), 49 per cent to Ethiopian Airlines and the rest equity share to some other people.
However, SAHCO eventually denied knowledge of the inauguration as claimed by the former minister.
His words: This is a classic case of when somebody breaks another’s rule in another country. It is a very serious thing; I’m not supporting one side or the other. How can Ethiopia come here to break the law? If the country says stay status quo it means stay status quo.
“It’s a bad name to us in the light of other countries – these are things that make other nations to see us as unserious and when you say come they say no. The aircraft came and left the following day. They said it is Public Private Partnership (PPP). What makes it private, what makes it public? And then you say the government has 5 per cent, then what makes it public?
“The implications of violating this court order is much – it shows we’re lawless and it sends a wrong signal to the international community. Are they going to tell us they don’t know Ethiopian Airlines is fully owned by the Ethiopian government? As a result there would be no level playing field. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) is not against Nigeria Air but what they are fighting is that there would be no competitive advantage because it is owned by the government.”
Going forward, he advised that the plan be re-evaluated with a view of leasing aircraft and creating a maintenance hangar, while the national carrier should be made to be 100 per cent Nigerian government owned.
“Going forward is to go and re-evaluate and see if leasing aircraft is okay for us, create a maintenance hangar. The National Carrier should be 100 per cent Nigerian government owned. Ethiopian Airlines is fully government owned, why can’t we do so?
“We can acquire cheaper and smaller aircraft and start from that; build Nigeria Air from scratch. We can also lease but directly from leasing companies not through a third party (Ethiopian government) and if you say Ethiopian has got a leasing company, why can’t we get our own? They said we’re going to learn, learn what?” Olubadewo asked.
The aviation player was of the view that Nigeria is blessed with competent hands and carriers that would be able to operate a national carrier effectively, hence, there was no need involving a foreign airline, much more an airline fully owned by its government.
“Air Peace is breaking records, flying the latest aircraft that some countries are not flying, going everywhere.
“Who says Akin Olateru cannot be made the managing director of Nigeria Air and he runs it and runs it well? Is it not a Nigerian that schooled here that owns Gatwick? What is the reason we cannot do it ourselves, are we that bad?
“We cannot get $50 million to buy B737? They can even take B737 in Zaria; it is very sad. For me I just feel so bad about it because we’re a country with very competent people.
“Air Peace invested $150 million to $300 million to buy those E195; the 30 of them he’s going to buy and then you do not give him tax break? The people you are giving tax breaks to are foreigners.
“And they may not even put the right people there. Watch and see the people they would put there; they would be people that would make sure it fails. They would not be the right people.
“Whatever they are doing with this Air Nigeria will end up on the table of where people will discuss what to do,” he pointed out.