The Audacity of Hadi Sirika

By Olawale olaleye

Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika’s shambolic Nigeria Air is one clear posturing that summarised the character of the Muhammadu Buhari administration – a regime that was deficit in practically all the lies it rode to power. It had no integrity, credibility, believability, competence, capacity and was selfishly corrupt.

It is true that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was corrupt, but at least, it was generous in its corruption and allowed the chain of sleaze trickle down, providing some shock absorber for the generality of the people. But under Buhari, it was an enrichment of a few former recharge card sellers within the corridor of power, leaving a majority to wallow in poverty.

Bad as it seems, the Nigerian economy appears to thrive in corruption, and if you attempted to stop the tide, you must be fair and ensure the same rules apply to all. But where you have differing exchange rates applying to categories of people, you just stamped corruption and gave it different meanings, depending on who is involved.

How Sirika got away with playing the most populous Black nation under the watch of a man considered incorruptible and in the very last minute of their days in office, should be a major study in governance and leadership.

Although someone had tried to rationalise the Nigeria Air mystery when the fellow anonymously wrote: “I don’t quite understand the furore over the ownership of Nigeria Air. British Airways is owned by IAG, a company registered in Spain but owned by Qatar as the major shareholder.

“The Canadian government owns less than 7% of Air Canada’s national carrier. Takatso, a Pan-African consortium, recently took over South Africa Airways. Airlines go into such partnerships all the time. Ethiopian Airways is the best-run airline in Africa, followed closely by RwandAir. Going into partnership with ET is a no-brainer.”

But this intervention could not go further to explain why the airline has refused to operate since it was launched in a hurry and as well justify the reason the initial buzz around it died suddenly.

However, like someone else, a certian Solomon argued, “These are different circumstances. The NCAA regulations stipulate procedures for starting an airline business. Firstly is that the carrier MUST have a minimum of three aircraft for its operations, whether acquired or leased.

“Also, there should be test flights and mandatory inspection of the equipment, and assessment of the crew members before AOC is approved for the inaugural flight. These and many more procedures were disregarded in this so-called Nigeria Air flight scam.”

Without a doubt, Buhari was a deliberate error of choice that should not have been allowed beyond a day in office. But the power hawks let him go on cluelessly for eight years – destroying as much as the spirit led him, and now, e don carry us come where we no know. It is well!