Unclear signal about new national carrier

Certainly, in some quarters, Nigeria, including its government, the one serving and the ones past, have often been regarded as bad students of history when it comes to taking actions.

While this notion may not be applicable in all terms, there are some times that the notion may have been nothing but the absolute truth. In other words, government officials at times take some actions without first weighing the pros and cons, or better still the subsequent implications.

Top on the list of the sectors that this illegality has affected is the aviation sector, which apart from the sensitive role it plays as the link between Nigeria and other parts of the world, is also one of the topmost revenue generators for the country

Ordinarily, this sector which should have been a shining light to other sectors in view of its high regulations as dictated by international rules, and recommended practices, coupled with the best professional brains spread across the various professions critical to the running of the sector, has suffered grievous consequences brought about by hostile policies traced to government.

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Nigeria’s governments including the past and the present are known for taking decisions about issues they know little or nothing about without carrying professionals along even when such decisions ended up becoming a national embarrassment.

Among such disastrous actions so far taken which are to the detriment of the country include the over 80 bilateral air services agreement (BASAs) signed on behalf of Nigerians which have been found to be disadvantageous to the country.

The open skies policy signed between Nigeria and the United States without adequate consultation with professionals, and the dual designation policy signed with Britain without the involvement of professionals in the sector, are part of the government’s wrong decisions.

Typical of such unpopular actions of government which was taken 15 years ago but is still rocking the boat in the sector was the unceremonious liquidation of the defunct national carrier, the Nigeria Airways.

Without due consultation but based on executive fiat, the airline was liquidated in absolute disregard to labour laws. Up till now, the workers who toiled for the former national airline are yet to be paid their final benefits.

For some time now, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has been speaking on the desire of this government to float another national carrier for Nigerians which would have been a welcome development, but for the untidy manner he is going about it.

Announcing the decision, Sirika had declared that the new carrier to be floated will be a private sector driven one. Since the decision was made, the minister and his team have kept all the needed information to their chest even when key players including the unions in the sector have continued to ask questions.

Apart from the unions, the domestic airlines and the Aviation Round Table, a body of professionals in the sector, have faulted the model the minister wants to use to float the national carrier which they said will be counterproductive and inimical to the overall interests of the present corps of private entrepreneurs.

For them, “an ideal national carrier must be domestically registered with support and encouragement of the citizens through the objective actions of government irrespective of party affiliation. Our position is patriotic and so geared toward avoiding the possible colossal and usual loss of both revenue and man hours from our commonwealth as experienced with the past unguided attempts.”

Amidst all this confusion, let it not be forgotten that the workers of the defunct national carrier are yet to be paid and they have vowed to use the last drop of their blood to frustrate the new carrier; while foreign workers across the world who have also not been paid, particularly those on the West Coast and African francophone countries and other foreign companies the former carrier was indebted to, are waiting to see the take off of the new carrier before they institute a class action suit against it.

At this juncture, it has become imperative for the minister and his team to be more transparent to ensure that all grey areas are well taken care of before rushing to establish another national carrier that will fail from start. Nigerians deserve to know the type of national airline they should expect and the criteria being used because any mistake will rub off on Nigerians.