Subdued, Sirika denies that Nigeria Air has no investors

Amid high-wired political machinations in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) which shot down the Nigeria Air before it took off, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has expressed dismay at the reasons adduced for which work on the new national airline was suspended.
In a statement from his office, the minister noted, with consternation, various opinions, comments and observations in the media regarding the status and the reasons for the recent suspension of the processes leading to the establishment of a Nigerian national carrier.
Everyday.ng gathered that a top presidency official, working with some ministers, orchestrated the suspension of the project because Sirika carried on as if he was not answerable to constituted authority.
An angry Sirika is said to have maintained his cool so as not to rock the boat, after all the efforts from the days of the former administration to his days went off in a puff as a result of a “needless conspiracy”.
But the statement by the Minister’s Deputy Director, Media & Public Affairs, Mr. James Odaudu, observed that among the reasons being bandied around for the suspension of Nigeria Air, especially in the social media is the absence of interested and ready investors.
He added”This couldn’t be farther from the truth, as the national carrier project has an avalanche of well-grounded and ready investors. These include international finance institutions such as the Afro-Exim Bank, African Development Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, aircraft manufacturers – Airbus and Boeing, airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Air etc. and some reputable individuals and entrepreneurs.
“The office also wants to clarify that the country’s participation at the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom in July was not for the sole purpose of unveiling the Nigeria Air logo as the public is being made to understand.
“It was also a meeting point with these potential investors who saw the event as another opportunity to market and re-emphasize their interests in the project.
“It is also pertinent to clarify that the Federal Executive Council only SUSPENDED the process for the establishment of the national carrier for the time being. The project has not been killed. Theses clarifications have been made in the public interest.”