ALL THE AIRLINES, INCLUDING AERO, ARIK, IRS, THE DEFUNCT AIR NIGERIA AND OTHERS GOT N120BILLION TWO YEARS AGO

A fresh $500 million loan said to have been procured by the ministry of aviation from China, as intervention fund for the purchase of 30 aircraft for domestic airlines, is raising dust in the aviation sector, The Guardian reports. Critics said the airlines were yet to account for the over N120 billion given to them about two years ago. President of Aviation Round Table, Capt. Dele Ore, has described the plan by the ministry to acquire aircraft through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigerian (FAAN) as “definitely an abnormality and a very ridiculous usurpation of statutory functions”. He questioned the legal powers of FAAN to acquire aircraft.

A former commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), has similarly condemned the action of the government, describing it as a big misplacement of priority. He noted that intervention cash doled out to airlines in the past had been misused and diverted by some of them. FAAN spokesman Yakubu Dati confirmed that government had concluded arrangement to purchase 30 brand new aircraft for airlines to boost their operations. He denied that any money was to be borrowed from China.

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