laudate:

The rot in Nigeria Airways started during the 2nd Republic. Before that, Nigeria Airways was doing rather well.

What happened after that? The politicians connived with some of the airline's unscrupulous staff, to mismanage the firm.



A lot of the gossip that emanated from that era which you recycled here, were grossly exaggerated, and most of it took place during the 2nd Republic. I still recall family and friends travelling in 1992, on first class tickets via Nigeria Airways, and getting good seats, on a smooth flight.

Nobody is denying that Nigeria Airways did not deteriorate, and ended up with huge debts before it was finally shut down, but at a certain period before things went downhill for the airline, it was run by professionals, during the era of Gowon up till when OBJ became military head of state. And it was profitable during that era.

I still maintain that airports in many parts of the world are run by public officials, employed by govt. And their airports work! It is just our own people that have refused to do things properly.

I concur with all you have written. It is not as if Nigerians cannot run things but my point is that when it involves civil servants and government, the attitude to work diminishes. There is this thing of it not being my father's work.
I remember when on aviation professional tried to reawaken the Nigeria airways with 2 leased aircrafts in 1995, an ex captain. I even flew with them stress-free. But because the then minister of aviation prefared to open a new national airline in which she had interest, she frustrated the captain. How, she put a law that all ticket sales and revenue must me paid into aviation ministry account in Abuja. From there the airline will have to make request for running cost. Ofcourse that killed the airline despite all the captains effort.
My point is that maybe if you get professionals like the elumelus, the Jim ovias, the adeyemis etc to run such places. People that have set up and successfully ran businesses in organized fashion without interference from civil servants and government, those places will work. Are you telling me that if the minister ask for 10 first class tickets from the airline, the civil servant wount oblige?