President Muhammadu Buhari and President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had a special tour of Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Friday, after attending Jum’aat prayers at the State House Mosque.
The tour was part of the preparations for Monday’s presidential inauguration ceremony, where Tinubu will be sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th president.
Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, the State Chief of Protocols (SCoP), guided them through the Council Chamber, the Press Gallery and other places within the Presidential Villa.
They were accompanied by Presidency officials and security personnel.
On Thursday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had also taken Vice President-elect Senator Kashim Shettima on a similar tour of the Vice Presidential Wing of Aso Rock.
Earlier in the week, Aisha Buhari handed over official documents of the office of the First Lady to Oluremi Tinubu. She had also shown her around Nigeria’s seat of power.
Tinubu, who defeated the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and former Anambra governor, Peter Obi in the February 25 election.
He ran on a platform of change and anti-corruption, promising to revive the economy, fight insecurity and reform the electoral system.
He also formed a strategic alliance with Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s leading carriers, to revive Nigeria’s national airline, Nigeria Air.
Ethiopian Airlines is a majority shareholder in the Nigeria Air project, with a 49% stake. This partnership has been opposed by some domestic airlines under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), who filed a suit against the Federal Government.
They claimed that the partnership would put them out of business by opening their market to Ethiopian Airlines. They also demanded an order of up to N2 billion in damages for “wrongful exclusion and unlawful bidding and selection processes” for the Nigeria Air project.
The ‘Presidential Aviation Roadmap’ launched in 2016 aims to develop airports, set up a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, a nationwide leasing company and other initiatives.
President Buhari had vowed to establish a national carrier before the end of his administration on May 29th, 2023. However, he failed to do so due to lack of funds and political will.
On Friday, he unveiled a Boeing 737-800 series aircraft with the Nigeria Air logo at the Abuja airport. However, Daily Trust can confirm that the aircraft belongs to Ethiopian Airlines. The aircraft had been operating flights for Ethiopian Airlines until Sunday when it flew from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv in Israel.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, expressed delight that the Nigeria Air project had taken off after “a very long, tedious, daunting and difficult path”.
He said that the Federal Executive Council had approved the leasing of three aircraft for the carrier, which would start with domestic flights and then grow to become regional and international.
He also said that the ownership structure of Nigeria Air would comprise 49% by equity partners, 46% by Nigerians and 5% by the Federal Government.
He urged Nigerians to support and promote democracy by adhering to the rule of law and advancing the frontiers of freedom for all the people.
