Says No Local Airline Will Be A National Carrier
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has revealed that relocation of the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos will help the agency save over N500 million on travels alone.
Keyamo made this revelation in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
The minister insisted that there is no going back on the relocation of the headquarters of the FAAN.
Recall that Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South, as well as chieftains of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum ( NEF), and other northern groups, had kicked against the relocation of FAAN and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) departments to Lagos.
But, Keyamo said the movement of the headquarters of the airport authority has become necessary in line with current economic and operational realities.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the movement of the FAAN headquarters would save the government and the people of Nigeria half a billion naira wasted on air tickets by officials of the Authority who have to commute from Lagos to Abuja and back.
The minister said top FAAN officials and aviation unions approached him and that the head office of the authority moved to Lagos for operational efficiency.
On whether President Bola Tinubu was aware of the decision or not, he said, “I take the decision”.
“Infrastructure Development: I did not meet any masterplan on ground in the entire Nigeria… I have told the President that we need to start with masterplans for the five international airports,” he added.
He aslso, said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating the controversial Nigeria Air deal sealed by the Federal Government during the tenure of ex-Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika.
“The EFCC is investigating that deal,” the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.
He said “there is a criminal investigation going on. I have called for the report”.
Keyamo also said no local airline would be designated as national airline, adding that “we will established a proper national carrier”.
Last August, shortly after he was sworn in as minister, Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), faulted the deal by Sirika and suspended the whole arrangement which was hurriedly unveiled by days to the end of the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, to enable proper audit of contracts.
The controversy surrounding the establishment of Nigeria’s national carrier, Nigeria Air had forced veteran aviator, Girma Wake, to resign as Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines.
The then Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Capt Dapo Olumide, had 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 Buhari administration in May.
Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Aviation had both labelled the launch of the Nigeria Air as a fraud.
