He said this on Thursday in a recent interview on Channels
Television’s Sunrise Daily.
While praising Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika for his
doggedness in ensuring the airline becomes a reality, he said many Nigerians
will benefit from the project.
“The minister has been bashed unfairly all over the place.
He has been doing this, all of the commitment to put this airline in place but
simply obstacles have been put on his part every inch of the way, until just a
week or two ago when the thing was cleared for its resumption,” he said.
“I don’t blame him. He wants to make history, the minister
wants to push for a new airline. So, it is honourable that he wants to
kickstart it Friday, which is 24 hours from now. It would be to the relief of
Nigerians, certainly, it is something that is going to be a game-changer,
especially for international travel.”
Mr. Garba admitted that the project had been impeded by
several challenges.
“The Nigerian process has been up for a very long time. In
all eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari, there is no policy memo on
anything that has done the zigzag that Nigerian Air has done,” the presidential
aide said.
“At least seven times, it came before the Federal Executive
Council before finally it was let go.
“Just when everything was set and for the airline to start,
domestic Nigerian airline operators went to court and they got an injunction
that says that Nigeria Air must not fly. This held up everything until barely a
week or two ago.”
According to him, the collaboration with Ethiopian Airways
is in the best interest of the country.
He said, “This is entirely different because past attempts
have been made to use resources from the treasury to run a business.
“Government is simply a bad manager of businesses. We would
continue to fail so long as these things are run by the government.
“This realization is simply the fact that the government of
Nigeria would be a minority shareholder in this enterprise, it is going to be
essentially business run and that would mean that it would succeed,” he said.
The collaborative model, combined with the government’s
limited involvement, presents a new paradigm for success in the aviation
sector. As the airline takes flight, it is expected to leave a lasting impact,
elevating Nigeria’s position in the global aviation landscape and serving as a
testament to the nation’s progress and resilience.
With the imminent launch of Nigeria Air, optimism abounds
among Nigerians who eagerly await the benefits that this game-changing venture
will bring.
The collaborative model, combined with the government’s
limited involvement, presents a new paradigm for success in the aviation
sector. As the airline takes flight, it is expected to leave a lasting impact,
elevating Nigeria’s position in the global aviation landscape and serving as a
testament to the nation’s progress and resilience.
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