Group hails FG for new Airline

…calls for reactivation of other dead assets

…says, also pay Nigeria Airways workers

 

A civil Society group in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, “The Integrity Group”, has called on the Federal (FG) Government to take steps to revive the dead national assets and investments in parts of the country.

The call followed the news of the plan for a new air craft for the country by the Minister of Aviation,  Hadi Sirika in London recently, to mark the re-introduction of Nigeria air carrier into the  air space.

The Founder of the group, who is also the Executive Director, Livingstone Wechie in a statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday commended the FG led by President Muhammadu Buhari for the feat but said it should be left to be fully managed by a private company.

The social/Political activist also urged the FG to ensure total transparency on all aspects of the transaction, by ensuring that each level of the business was made available in the public domain.

He also spoke on the need to the FG to also take steps to revive other critical moribund national assets like the Ajaokuta Steel industry and the seaports for economic diversification and growth.

Wechie said, “It was a thing of great joy the news that made the rounds for a new national carrier as unveiled by the Minister of state for Aviation Hadi Sirika in London recently.

“Whilst this innovative and noble idea must be honestly commended, a few concerns must be put into consideration by the federal government in this airline which was established in 1958 but liquidated in 2003 among other matters of great interest.

“Giving that this project will and should outlive the current administration,  the new national Carrier according to the agreement with the federal government, will be controlled and managed by the handler on zero government involvement and that the transaction, procurement and bidding processes of every phase of the project should be open in line with open governance policies particularly the purchase of the aircrafts, and other facilities captured in the agreements, including  the bidding for the company that will take the deal as well as the evidence of budgetary provisions or virement for this project in keeping with the public trust.”

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He also said that proper plan must be put in place to ensure that the factors that led to the closure of Nigerian airways, like free flights and private use of the aircrafts by government officials among other embarrassing factors are properly taken care of and blocked to avoid another disaster in the airline business.

Speaking further, Wechie called for the setting up of investigation panel on the Nigerian Airways, with the view to identifying and prosecuting those behind the dearth of the company to serve as deterrent to others who may intend to repeat the same in the future.

“The federal government and the National Assembly must immediately commence investigation on the alleged cases of fraud that grounded the National Carrier in the past with a view to bring all known perpetrators to justice as well as show that it will no longer be business as usual in the new investment of public funds in this case with a view to build the confidence of investors.

“We propose in the public and citizenship interest that this same speedy gesture by the federal government should be immediately extended to other sectors as top priority, particularly the immediate revival of the  Ajakuta Steel Company, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and Warri Seaports amongst others,  to give a strong economic spread of opportunities in the spirit of economic and commercial decentralization of business opportunities in the country by showing the will and courage to dismantle all human cartels and principalities holding back this dream.

“The Federal Government should immediately consider the  decentralization of our international travel routes through  a shortest implementable plan to expand international routes to other parts of the Country such as Port Harcourt international airport, Owerri Airport, Enugu international Airport  along with the spread of consulates etc so as to serve as an opportunity for economic expansion in those areas to attract  foreign investors along with a plan to boost all the necessary facilities to world class standards in these airports.

“The federal government should not forget the unpaid workers of the defunct Nigeria airways who have not only lost their lives in high numbers but have continued to wallow in abject poverty and denial following the failure of the FG to pay them their entitlements even after the approval of over N450 billion by the Federal Executive council for that purpose.” he stated.

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