Minister of state for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has been accused
of championing the fight by foreign airlines to blackmail the federal
government for preferential treatment.
Industry sources said yesterday that Sirika is seeking audience with
President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the alleged plans by foreign
airlines to sack 2,000 Nigerians on their staff.
The plans have, however, been found to be a ruse as all foreign
airlines in Nigeria have less than 400 employees, a fact that could not
have been lost on the minister.
In a series of blusters to force the Nigerian government to release
about $1.3billion foreign exchange allegedly held in Nigeria, the
foreign airlines have leaned on domestic labour unions, threatened to
raise fares by 100 per cent, and even instigated the European
Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) to issue a
warning that it could impound any aircraft belonging to Nigerian
carriers.
SOURCE LEADERSHIP
Two Nigerian carriers, Medview and Arik Air, currently fly the
Nigerian-UK route, and while Medview was forced to accept London
-Gatwick against London-Heathrow, which is the preferred destination of
many Nigerian travellers, Arik Air has been battling for years to obtain
slots from Abuja to London.
British authorities have denied the request, citing lack of funds.
But the minister appears to see nothing wrong with what insiders
described as “the strong-arm tactics and blackmail” of the foreign
airlines.
A source said yesterday that “while foreign airlines get forex from
the banks and set their fares at parallel market rates, local airlines
use official CBN rates. The foreign airlines are creaming off the
difference between both rates, while Nigerians are suffering. Yet they
still are still holding us by the throat to repatriate the so-called
pending forex with CBN. In this era of change, that is what we thought
the minister would fight to correct.
“Nigeria and the UK,” the source continued, “have 21 slots under the
Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). While Nigeria approved all the
slots to British Airways, the British authorities have refused to
approve the corresponding slots to Nigerian carriers, pushing Medview to
Gatwick and giving them all sorts of unnecessary problems, and denying
Arik Air slots from Abuja.
“Who does not know that the so-called slot allocation committee in
the UK is chaired by the chairman of the board of British Aviation
Authority and the vice chairman is from Virgin Atlantic, with another
member from Monarch. How can a committee comprising competitors treat
the Nigerian carriers fairly?
“The Indians have 32 slots in London Heathrow. It is sad that the
minister, a pilot who ought to know better, is dancing to the tunes of
the foreign airlines, even co-opting the unions. Many are beginning to
wonder if there is more to it than meets the eye. Is it for nothing? Is
anyone collecting commission from the foreign airlines at the expense of
suffering Nigerians?”
In his reaction, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Aviation, James
Odaudu, said he did not have the facts of the matter; hence, he could
not speak on it. And text messages and calls placed to the minister of
state remained un-replied by the time of going to press.
Tensions have been high between foreign airlines and the Nigerian
government over the latter’s refusal to release hundreds of millions of
dollars held in the country since last year.
The government has maintained that releasing the funds would have negative impact on its efforts to stem the slide of the naira.
The woes of the foreign airlines have been worsened by the campaign
to save the naira and the growing number of price-sensitive travellers
choosing the local carriers over the foreign airlines.
