The Federal Government has announced plans to establish a national carrier before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s tenure.
The new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, announced this yesterday in Abuja after the outgoing Permanent Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, handed over the ministry’s documents to him.
Dr. Kana said he was directed by President Tinubu and the Head of Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, to collaborate with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to establish a national carrier and improve the security of the airports.
He said: “My deployment to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development is quite timely. While receiving my deployment letter, I received very clear instructions with two tasks to achieve within this period by His Excellency, Mr. President, as well as the Head of Service of the Federation.
“The first task is to ensure that the national carrier comes to be, and the second task is to sanitise our airports across the country. All of us will agree that there is no better time to have a national carrier than now; in fact, yesterday.”
Dr. Kana added: “Therefore, my task, day and night, is to work with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, Mr. President, to give birth to what Nigerians are all waiting for, that is a national carrier.
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“By His grace, we shall achieve this within this short period of time of the tenure of His Excellency, Mr. President.
“I was also directed to sanitise our airports. We want our airports to operate the way airports are operated all over the world. Let our passengers in the airports feel at home to operate and move seamlessly, transiting from one point of the airport to another without stress.
“So, our dream is to give birth to a national carrier within the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and by the special grace of God, a national carrier will be birthed.”
Dr. Kana urged heads of agencies under the ministry, the directors and other workers of the ministry to work with him to improve the aviation industry.
The permanent secretary hoped that with the right environment and partnership with the private sector, the opportunities in the industry would be harnessed.
“I am a believer of Nigeria. I implore us to work together to make Nigeria a better place. Resources are quite scarce, but we have to harness the potential the private sector has to grow the sector,” he said.
Dr. Meribole urged the ministry’s workers to collaborate with the new permanent secretary to achieve an aviation industry.