Says Nigeria Air still on course as Aviation unions give rousing welcome
The newly sworn-in Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika has expressed the optimism to make aviation contribute up to 1 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product of the country, in the next one year, just as he said the suspended Nigeria Air project is on course.
Sirika gave the assurance shortly after he was sworn –in as the substantive minister of aviation by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday.
“This industry has a lot for Nigerians and it connects people, nations and markets. One airplane that will come in means 300 jobs. More than that, it is a catalyst growth for the economy of our country and contributes to the GDP. From what we have done, we have raised the contribution to the GDP from 0.4 to 0.6.per cent. We believe that in the next one year, it will increase its contribution to the GDP to at least 1%. Aviation, for sure will add to the quality of lives in Nigeria,” he said.
Sirika who said that the suspended Nigeria Air project is still on the road map, assured that it will continue soon by God’s grace.
To show their acceptance of his returning to aviation industry as the substantive minister, aviation unions in the country industry, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Air Transport Pilots and Employees (NAAPE) gave Sirika a surprised welcome reception shortly after he took oath of office.
Responding to the reception accorded him by the unions, he said, “I truly appreciate the aviation workers for coming out in large numbers to receive me. I am not sure if it has not broken me into pieces. Indeed it did. I am being the macho man that I ought to be to hold back tears. This surprise by the grace of God will not be misplaced. We worked together as a family and I missed them. I never thought that I was coming back. I could not find a forum to say a big thank you to them. Now that we are back, we will still continue from where we stopped. If there is need, we will tweak to make it better than what we have done before in the interest of our country and our industry, aviation.”
Reiterating the need for collaborations of stakeholders in the country, the newly sworn in minister said, “Nigerians should know that while we are here, given the opportunity, we together with the stakeholders, the unions and the workers. We drew a road map and we are following that road map. We will continue with the road map. If it needs adjustment, we will adjust it appropriately so that it would serve the industry better. So that it would be in tune with the presidential directive, that everything must be pro-people. So, we will continue with the pro-people initiative of Mr. President. We will ensure that all our actions will be in the interest of the people, the worker, the industry and the country in general.”
Affirming that aviation has universal nature, Sirika said, “I want to point this out that to Nigerians and the world in general, there is only one aviation. There is no aviation B. Aviation is universal. It is the same aviation in China, America, South Africa and in Nigeria. We cannot work as an island. We must work together because the standards are the same. Anything that affects someone in Nigeria will affect another person in Singapore. People should desist from seeing aviation as elitist. I used to read in papers and here on the news that, ‘How many people fly?’ it is not that. If Dangote has employed 100,000 workers and he has to travel from one place to another in an aeroplane, it is not only him that is travelling, but also the 100,000 workers.”
Expressing their satisfactions with the previous performances of Sirika during his tenure as Minister of state, Aviation; National Presidents of NAAPE, Comrade Abenego Galadima and President General of ANAP, Comrade Kabir Gusau on behalf of other unions appealed for continued collaborations with the unions in the industry to promote better working relationship and progress of the industry.
