Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has dismissed the report that he is compelling public servants to fly Nigeria Air
Senator Sirika said there was no time in promoting Nigeria Air that he publicly or otherwise said the public servants must fly the new airline.
The minister while responding on his twitter handle @hadisirika to a report on one of Nigeria’s electronic media (television), denied ever saying that public servants must fly the new Nigeria Air.
The minister said, “I never said public servants must fly Nigeria Air”.
The minister, on the other hand said if there would eventually be a policy called “Fly Nigeria Act”, all Nigeria registered airlines would benefit, not only Nigeria Air. “If there will be such a policy, it will be to fly all Nigerian registered carriers”, he stressed.
The minister in his earlier clarifications on issues raised after the unveiling of the new national carrier, Nigeria Air, stated that: “As part of efforts to make airlines viable in Nigeria, the ministry is making moves to have the National Assembly pass a fly Nigeria act. This act will require that anybody travelling on a ticket bought with public funds must travel on a Nigerian carrier unless the route is not served by a Nigerian carrier. However, with your private funds you can do as you like. Many countries including America has such as Act.”
Reiterating his comments at the just concluded Farnborough Air where he unveiled Nigeria Air, Sirika said: “The intention of Government is to promote businesses not to kill them. It is not intended to kill any airline in Nigeria but complement them”.
