In a recent news release, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of all airlines in Nigeria has expressed satisfaction about the way the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika and the Federal Government (FG) have safeguarded and defended Nigeria’s honour in the face of certain actions executed by United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The news release which was issued on Wednesday December 15, 2021 states, “The AON wishes to commend the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Abubakar Sirika, for the courageous way he stood up for the honour, dignity and respect to our sovereignty as a nation on this matter. We commend President Muhammadu Buhari’s government for standing solidly and protectively behind not only Nigerian airlines, but also indigenous investment and investors in Nigeria.”
The press release further acknowledges the crucial role played by the Minister in getting the President to sign the Customs Duty and VAT waivers into law as soon as it was passed by the National Assembly.
The commendation came as a result of the Aviation Minister’s reciprocal actions towards UAE, when he slashed down Emirates’ weekly flights from twenty-one (21) to one (01), after the Middle-East nation’s carrier reduced to one (01) Nigeria’s Air Peace’ three (03) weekly flights to Sharjah.
This retaliation by the Minister had the result of prompting the authorities of UAE to not only permit Air Peace to fly into UAE seven (07) times a week, but to also operate from the preferred Dubai airport instead of Sharjah.
Airline Operators also praised the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu for his no-nonsense and pragmatic actions during this time which also cumulated in the defence of Nigeria’s dignity.
According to AON, the FG’s timely and robust intervention has raised Nigerians’ national sense of pride “to an all-time high”, and acts as the basis on which AON presently buoys up the FG to keep reciprocating in equal measure against any nation that attacks, in any way, the sovereignty of Nigeria.
