A Civil Society group in Port Harcourt “The Integrity Group”, has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to revive other dead national assets and investments in parts of the country.
The call came after news of the plan for a new airline for the country by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika in London recently, to mark the re-introduction of Nigeria air carrier into the international airspace.
The Founder of the group, Livingstone Wechie, in a statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday, commended the FG led by President Muhammadu Buhari for the feat but said it should be left to be fully managed by a private company.
He also spoke on the need to the FG to also take steps to revive other critical moribund national assets like the Ajaokuta Steel industry and the seaports for economic diversification and growth.
Wechie said, “It was a thing of great joy the news that made the rounds for a new national carrier as unveiled by the Minister of state for Aviation Hadi Sirika in London recently.
“Whilst this innovative and noble idea must be honestly commended, a few concerns must be put into consideration by the federal government in this airline which was established in 1958 but liquidated in 2003 among other matters of great interest.
“Giving that this project will and should outlive the current administration, the new national Carrier according to the agreement with the federal government, will be controlled and managed by the handler on zero government involvement and that the transaction, procurement and bidding processes of every phase of the project should be open in line with open governance policies particularly the purchase of the aircrafts, and other facilities captured in the agreements, including the bidding for the company that will take the deal as well as the evidence of budgetary provisions or virement for this project in keeping with the public trust.
He also said that proper plan must be put in place to ensure that the factors that led to the closure of Nigerian Airways, like free flights and private use of the aircraft by government officials among other embarrassing factors are properly taken care of and blocked to avoid another disaster in the airline business
