Rumbles over FG’s released N5bn aviation bailout fund

SINCE the release of the N5 billion federal government bailout funds to the domestic airlines and other allied businesses for the purpose of helping them to cushion the impact of Coronavirus pandemic which inflicted deep economic hardships on their existence, the entire sector has not remained the same.

Rather than unite the airlines and other stakeholders across the sector, the released bailout fund has ended up creating division.

As soon as the news about the release of the fund filtered into the public space, trouble erupted among the rank and file of the domestic airlines with some crying blue murder about how the money was shared and the criteria used in selecting beneficial airlines.

Prior to the disbursement of the fund, the airlines had battled and are still battling dangerous deep hatred and disunity laced with local rivalries over unclear issues that have all created division which subsequently turned the critical key players to strange bedfellows.

The rivalry among the airlines which has led to suspicion majorly contributed to the accusations and counter-accusations over the sharing formula used for the disbursement.

While some of the airlines have accused the executive members of the umbrella body of the airlines, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) of influencing the ratio to favour some airlines over the others, others have faulted the position urging all airlines to show gratitude to government for releasing the money.

As the airlines continue to drag each other on one side, it has been another tug of war raging amongst other stakeholders in the sector who are demanding to know why the largesse was not extended to others who because of their contribution to the growth of the sector equally suffered the havoc unleashed by the pandemic.

To many of the stakeholders who described the failure of the government to carry them along in the scheme of things as unfair, the questions on their lips include: why the government committee in charge of disbursing the largesse failed to consider other professionals whose main businesses are based in the sector.

To the aggrieved stakeholders, if the bailout was extended to car hires, why not other businesses like restaurateurs, shop owners and vendors whose businesses were equally affected during the lockdown.

Obviously, the majority of stakeholders are not comfortable with the manner the fund was disbursed which has rather than ease burden on the sector has only complicated issues.

Agreed that the airlines suffered more hardship than other businesses in the sector and therefore deserve even more than N10 billion but the government should have reached out to other small businesses.

Perhaps, the level of tension the development is presently generating would have been absent if the government had again actually given a clearer status of the palliative, that is, stating if it was the fund was for free or a loan to be paid back at a specific time.

This development, which has been left hanging without any particular condition attached, has contributed to the high temper raging on as many key players are arguing that the fund which formed part of the public taxes should have been extended to other genuine business owners whose means of livelihood suffered calamity while the airport and the entire sector was locked down for almost six months.

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