Aviation ministry permanent secretary clarifies statement on reviving Nigeria Air project

Ibrahim Kana, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has clarified his inaugural statement regarding the revival of the Nigeria Air project. Media reports had explained from the newly appointed permanent secretary’s statement that he received a directive from President Bola Tinubu to restart the national air carrier project.

In a statement on Wednesday, Kana said he “received no such instruction”. “Since my inaugural statement on Monday at the hand-over ceremony, I have been inundated with inquiries about my reference to the revival of the National Carrier Project,” he said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I never said that there is a mandate to revive the botched Nigeria Air deal with Ethiopian airline.

“I received no such instruction. I was only referring to the general vision of the Administration to still consider a National Carrier Project if it is favourable to the country and under the guidance and directives of Mr President and the Honourable Minister of Aviation.

“I hope this clarifies all the ambiguities surrounding my earlier statement on this issue.” “I pledge absolute loyalty to the Honourable Minister and remain dedicated to working closely with him to drive the Ministry’s agenda forward,” he said.

He said the future of aviation in Nigeria is “bright, innovative, and reflective of the aspirations of our great nation”. (BusinessDay)