The Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has suspended indefinitely the operations of a charter and aircraft maintenance firm, Executive Jet Services, in the country for fraudulent activities.
The suspension, which is with immediate effect, is for conveying a popular musician Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley to Abuja for a musical concert against the interstate restriction order by the Nigerian government over the novel COVID-19 Pandemic.
Senator Sirika announced the suspension order of the airline during Monday’s briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.
The Minister said the return flight that conveyed the musician to and fro Abuja was originally approved by the Ministry of Aviation to convey Justice Adefope Okojie for an official assignment, an approval that was fraudulently used by the airline charter company.
He said the conduct of the Executive Jet Services was a gross violation of the Presidential Task Force regulations and protocols which allowed for the operation of only flights on essential services.
According to Senator Sirika, in as much as the government would encourage the operation and growth of all operators in the aviation industry, it would not condone actions that undermine government policies and constitute risks to public interests.
The Minister assured that the Captain of the flight would be sanctioned for conveying wrong information, while the airline would be severely fined as well as any other airline that flouts the directives of the PTF on COVID 19.
However, the mall in which Naira Marley performed over the weekend has been sealed off by the FCT COVID 19 taskforce.
Source: VON
