Nigeria Air Turbulence: The Truth Behind Zemedeneh Negatu’s Deceptive Claims

By LJDemissie November 18, 2024

Introduction

Introduction

This article informs Nigerians about Ato Zemedeneh Negatu’s misleading claims in the media, exaggerating his role. He falsely claims to have led Ethiopian Airlines to success and been the global leader of Ernst & Young.

For instance, one of his Amharic inspirational speech videos on the YouTube channel Dawit Dreams is deceptively titled የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድን የለወጡት አቶ ዘመዴነህ ንጋቱ (Ato Zemedeneh Negatu who Changed the Ethiopian Airlines!). In the video, he claimed to have led a global organization called Ernst & Young (1), which had offices in over two hundred countries and employed more than three hundred thousand people worldwide (timestamp 8:30 to 8:56).

These claims are misleading. He was actually a managing partner at Ernst & Young’s Ethiopia office, working on the Ethiopian Airlines Vision-2010 project in 2004 as part of a consortium of consulting firms and Ethiopian Airlines employees under the guidance of CEO Girma Wake. Zemedeneh’s role was leading Ernst & Young’s Ethiopia office’s employees who worked on the project and to use Ernst & Young’s established mythology not his own knowledge or lead the entire Ernst & Young global organization.

Although I believe Ethiopian Airlines is accountable and transparent, its silence on Zemedeneh’s deceptive self-promotion, which harms its reputation, is puzzling. Note: Ethiopian Airlines aims to connect people, especially Africans, while operating for profit.

Zemedeneh’s Lies Fuel Controversy Surrounding the Nigeria Air Project

ARISE NEWS reported that “Court Orders Suspension of Nigeria Air Project, Voids Sale to Ethiopian Airlines,” (2) the recent suspension of the Nigeria Air project has sparked significant controversy and finger-pointing. I noted that Ethiopian Airlines is bearing the brunt of the accusations from Nigerians, including Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo.

In June 2023, two weeks after the Nigeria Air project was suspended, Ethiopian Airlines board chairman Girma Wake resigned for undisclosed reasons, confirming his departure to The Reporter without elaborating. (3)

Evidence of Zemedeneh’s False Claims Fueling Nigeria Air Controversy

1. In an August 31, 2024 interview with YouTube TV360 Nigeria titled “How Nigeria Air project crashed before take-off,” Zemedeneh Negatu claimed that “Ethiopian Airlines was not in the airline management business and had no intention of managing Nigeria Air”(4) (timestamp 11:53 to 11:57).

2. In an August 3, 2023interview with Bloomberg Television titled “Ethiopian Airlines CEO on Nigeria Air Establishment”, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew stated that “Ethiopian Airlines would have a management contract and effectively manage Nigeria Air” (5) (timestamp 02:05 to 02:17). This contradicts Zemedeneh’s claim and suggests he provided false, possibly fraudulent, information about Ethiopian Airlines’ role in the project.

3. In an August 27, 2024Bloomberg Television interview, titled “Boeing Delays Force Top Africa Carrier to Lease Planes”, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew stated that, “Some African governments have requested us to manage their own airlines without equity partnership, which we are considering as well” (6) (timestamp 16:17 to 16:27). This evidence shows that Ethiopian Airlines is indeed involved in airline management, contradicting Zemedeneh’s claim.

4. Management of ASKY Airlines: Ethiopian Airlines has managed ASKY Airlines, a regional airline based in Togo, since its inception. According to Wikipedia, “Ethiopian Airlines Group is a strategic partner with 40 percent ownership”, (7). This evidence also shows that Ethiopian Airlines is indeed involved in airline management, contradicting Zemedeneh’s claim.

5. Management of ASKY Airlines: Ethiopian Airlines has managed ASKY Airlines, a regional airline based in Togo, since its inception. According to Wikipedia, “Ethiopian Airlines Group is a strategic partner with 40 percent ownership”, (7). This evidence also shows that Ethiopian Airlines is indeed involved in airline management, contradicting Zemedeneh’s claim.

6. In an August 24, 2024Vanguard, a leading Newspaper in Nigeria, interview titled “Man behind Nigeria Air tells his story”, Zemedeneh Negatu falsely claimed that We acquired expensive multi-million dollar aircraft at our own cost for Nigeriaa Air… (8)”. Ethiopian Airlines’ CEO Mesfin Tasew debunked this in a Bloomberg Television interview, clarifying no aircraft was purchased for Nigeria Air.

7. In an August 24, 2024Liberation News interview titled ”Man Behind Nigeria Air Tells His Story,” Zemedeneh repeated his false claim about acquiring expensive aircraft for Nigeria Air. He sated, “… with the advice and consent of legal counsel and government, while awaiting final ruling by the court, at our cost, we … acquired very expensive multi-million dollar aircraft at our own cost too (9).”
8. In an August 24, 2024 Vanguard interview, Zemedeneh falsely claimed that “the majority interest of 51% in Nigeria Air is owned by Nigerian”(10). However, this claim is misleading. In reality, the equity allocation is as follows:

• Ethiopian Airlines holds a 49% stake
• The Nigerian government holds 5%
• Two other Nigerian stakeholders, SAHCO and other investors, hold 15% and 31% respectively.

This means Ethiopian Airlines holds the largest single stake, giving it significant influence over the project, contrary to Zemedeneh’s claim that Nigerians hold the majority interest.

Negatu’s claims are clearly an attempt to mislead his audience, including myself and the Nigerian people and to portray himself as a spokesperson for Ethiopian Airlines and as a significant investor, despite his role as a consultant. This portrayal creates a false image of Nigeria Air’s and him as a spokesperson and investment mogul, which amounts to intentional deception. Such misleading statements can cause significant harm, not only to the reputation of Ethiopian Airlines but also to the bilateral relations between Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Questioning Zemedeneh Negatu’s Authority to Speak to the Media

Consultants typically require explicit authorization to speak to the media about their work, especially when it involves sensitive information. Zemedeneh made several media statements, raising questions about whether Ethiopian Airlines or Nigeria Air authorized him and whether he violated professional ethics. Ethiopian Airlines’ silence on Zemedeneh’s false statements is concerning and suggests a lack of accountability. They must address these issues transparently and hold Zemedeneh accountable to clear their name and prevent future misleading practices.

I wonder if Nigeria’s Aviation Minister’s accusations include Zemedeneh Negatu. Some of the real issues stem from his lack of transparency and misleading claims, which have caused unnecessary controversy and damaged the reputations of Ethiopian Airlines and the Nigeria Air project. It is imperative to address the root causes of these problems and ensure that transparency and accountability prevail.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this article are my own and are not intended to defame or harm any government, organization, or individual. The information provided is based on publicly available sources and personal opinions. If you believe the content contains misrepresentations or exaggerations of facts, please contact me at LJDemissie@yahoo.com or @LJDemissie (X, formerly known as Twitter). I strive for accuracy and will promptly address any concerns.

Source:

1. “የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድን የለወጡት አቶ ዘመዴነህ ንጋቱ (Ato Zemedeneh Negatu who Changed the Ethiopian Airlines!), Dawit Dreams, YouTube.
2. “Court Orders Suspension of Nigeria Air Project, Voids Sale to Ethiopian Airlines,” ARISE NEWS.
3. “Girma Wake, the former board chairperson of Ethiopian Airlines, has left his position,” The Reporter.
4. “How Nigeria Air project crashed before take-off,” TV360 Nigeria, YouTube, August 31, 2024 (timestamp 11:53 to 11:57).
5. “Ethiopian Airlines CEO on Nigeria Air Establishment,” Bloomberg Television, August 3, 2023 (timestamp 02:05 to 02:17).
6. Boeing Delays Force Top Africa Carrier to Lease Planes,” Bloomberg Television, August 27, 2024 (timestamp 16:17 to 16:27).
7. “Mesfin Tasew Bekele,” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.
8. “Man behind Nigeria Air tells his story,” Vanguard, August 24, 2024″
9. “Man Behind Nigeria Air Tells His Story,” Liberation News, August 24, 2024
10. “Man behind Nigeria Air tells his story,” Vanguard, August 24, 2024″