PDP mocks Buhari, says Nigeria Air a ‘pure scam’

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday mocked President Muhammadu Buhari over the recent unveiling of Nigeria Air, a proposed national carrier, in London.

The Buhari-led government had displayed the drawings of the airplane, its name, logo and proposed routes and claimed that it was going to commence operations in December this year.

But the PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, dismissed the project, saying “Does it not smack of pure scam that less than six months to commence operations, the supposed new airline has not even started the process of licensing, even when it takes a minimum of six months for a new airline to obtain Air Operating License and three months to develop its manuals?”

The party therefore advised President Buhari and the Federal Government to “perish the thought of trying to use the ‘unveiling’ of a nonexistent national carrier to beguile Nigerians now that election is around the corner, as such ruse cannot yield any dividend.”

It added that it was unfortunate that Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) having “run out of fake promises and not having any development project to parade”, have now resorted to international kite-flying aimed at “hoodwinking” unsuspecting Nigerians.

“Is it not comical that while other nations are unveiling and rolling out real planes, the Buhari administration, in a most hilarious manner, is ‘unveiling’ drawings of an airplane, name, logo and imaginary routes of a nonexistent fleet, as our national carrier, in faraway London?

“What President Buhari and his handlers fail to understand is that Nigerians can see through their fraud and lies.

“Apart from drawings of airplanes, there are no structures to indicate that a new airline, billed to commence operation in December this year, is being set up; there are no offices, no recruitment of personnel and no form of ground activity anywhere in the country,” part of the statment read.

The PDP went further to argue, “If the Buhari administration is not on a fantasy trip to beguile Nigerians and pave further ways for its humongous corruption, it should have focused on our existing national carrier structures, in addition to three operating airlines, already taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

READ ALSO : BUHARI: Technology made me president

“It is therefore clear that the entire project is a huge scam and that the five percent government funding is a direct ploy by the cabal at the Buhari Presidency to siphon billions of naira, using a phantom project.”

Meanwhile, the PDP also on Friday condemned the burning of Senator Dino Melaye’s constituency development projects in Kogi State.

Ologbondiyan said in a statement that the party condemned in unambiguous terms the burning of some classroom projects executed by Melaye by suspected political detractors, describing such action as crude politics.

The PDP said that all fingers point to hoodlums sponsored by the sinking APC in Kogi State, which has been threatening the lawmaker since his failed recall bid in April, as well as his declared return to the PDP.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now