By Cynthia Johnson
In a recent development, Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has raised concerns about the deal between Ethiopian Airlines and former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration regarding the proposed national airline, Nigeria Air.
Speaking after the Executive Council meeting on Monday, Keyamo expressed criticism, asserting that the terms of the agreement appeared unfair to Nigerian airlines, potentially paving the way for a monopoly by Ethiopian Airlines.
QUEST TIMES also gathered that Keyamo who revealed that President Bola Tinubu is now reviewing the reports on the matter, will determine whether to approve the agreement.
The minister emphasized that he cannot preempt the president’s decision, but highlighted the responsibility of addressing the concerns raised.
“We suspended it to say, let’s just look at all the issues and recommend. Now we have looked at all the issues and it’s before Mr. President,” Keyamo stated while sharing key points from the agreement that raised eyebrows.
Moreover, he questioned the wisdom of granting tax waivers to Ethiopian Airlines for five years, allowing them to compete with local airlines burdened by heavy taxes.
“In the agreement, you are giving tax waivers to Ethiopian Airlines coming into Nigeria, they ask for tax waivers for five years and you granted them to come and compete with your local airlines who are paying those heavy taxes, how? You want to create a monopoly?”
Keyamo also highlighted a proposal in the agreement where Ethiopian Airlines would have control over top management positions in Nigeria, raising further concerns about the potential for a monopoly.
The minister concluded by saying that Nigerians who are quick to judge should consider these snippets from the agreement, as there is an urgent need to ensure fairness and avoid creating a monopoly that could harm the local airlines.