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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Corporate Commission yet to register Virgin Nigeria
Barely two weeks to the commissioning and take off of the Nigerian new flag carrier, the new company, Virgin Nigeria, which emerged out of the ashes of liquidated Nigeria Airways is yet to be incorporated giving an indication that the take off may be stalled.
The new development besides the problem of raising fund locally is unfolding as a former chairman of House of Representatives' Committee on Aviation cautions the government on its handling of the sensitive issue of Nigerian flag carrier.
A check at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja revealed that Virgin Nigeria, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council as the new national carrier with Virgin Atlantic Airways as the core investors was yet to be registered as at 13 September, 2004.
Although aviation authorities said the company had applied for an airline licence a month before it was approved by the FEC they did not state on which company's name the application was submitted.
The check at the CAC revealed that one Virgin Atlantic Nigeria Limited with One million Naira share capital was incorporated on 14 November, 1997 by an Indian of 3/5 Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos and two other Nigerian directors.
Former Chairman House of Representatives on Aviation Alhaji Awwal Tukur yesterday said that rather than creating Virgin Nigeria the Federal Government should have given the lucrative foreign routes to domestic operators.
Although government's decision for creating a new flag carrier, according to him, was a positive step, he however noted that, as a country, Nigeria deserves more than one flag carrier.
Fielding reporters' questions at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos Tukur also called on the government to as a matter of urgency to pay workers' of the liquidated Nigeria Airways all their entitlements to prevent Virgin Nigeria from swimming into murky waters.
His words; "The government has already decided regarding the creation of new airline. I think it is positive step ahead, but let it be done properly. Let the workers pensions be sorted out".
Sources close to the Guardian
Tukur who accompanied his father, Alhaji Bamanga to Togo to facilitate the smooth take - off of the ECO currency explained that the foreign routes exclusively given to Virgin Nigeria should have been given to interested Nigerian carriers with the invitation of foreign one to invest in them by paying for the lucrative routes.
"That decision will make our domestic aviation industry to grow. As a country, we can have a far more than one flag carrier", he added.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on September 1, 2004 approved Virgin Atlantic Airlines as the strategic / technical investor for Nigeria's flag carrier, to be called Virgin Nigeria Airlines, the new flag carrier will have an equity of $50 million.
The new flag carrier, according to Aviation minister Mallam Isa Yuguda, would be commissioned and take off on 1 October, 2004.
Virgin Atlantic Airlines, a private airline owned by British entrepreneur, Richard Branson, edged out South African Airlines, which had won the bid early in the year but pulled out upon President Olusegun Obasanjo's insistence that Nigerians take a minimum of 10 percent of its equity when the South African national carrier is privatized.
Meanwhile, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITWF), a globally recorgnised organization for aviation and Transportation employees has written a letter to Aviation Minister, Mallam Isa Yuguda on the plight of the Airways workers.
The letter dated September 15, 2004 and signed by the Secretary General of ITWF, David Cockroft described the non payment of the workers salaries as appalling.
He however noted that the issue would be raised at the next International Labour Organizations' (ILO) tripartite conference, which will take place in Addis Ababa in December.
According to him, "The summit will focus on the future of African aviation. This will be an extremely important debate for the industry and try to see the opportunity as a defining moment in the development of civil aviation in African. We had hoped that countries such as Nigeria could be key players in the industry but given the government's interference in the operation of Nigeria Airways and the abysmal treatment of the workforce as a result of the closure".
The over 26 month salaries arrears owed the workers he reiterated has raised a number of questions about the Nigeria's commitment to the future of a viable, effective and stable civil aviation network.
Cockroft, reasoned that whilst Virgin Airways has initially benefited from the routes subsequently allocated to it, the company he warned should also be aware that the current working relationship with the government is of a temporary nature, given recent history in the industry.
He hoped that the issue of unpaid salaries and pensions can be resolved quickly "for our members, especially now that we understand that there has been initial agreement about entitlements and benefits guaranteed by the Nigerian Civil Service Rules and Pensions Act of 1974".
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