• The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects & Partnerships
    • AUN-PT Data Hub
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • #PandoraPapers
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects & Partnerships
    • AUN-PT Data Hub
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • #PandoraPapers
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
Stella Oduah

Stella Oduah

Arik Air accuses Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, of corruption

byNicholas Ibekwe
September 20, 2012
Reading Time: 3 mins read
8

The Airline says it is suffering because it bruised the ego of the aviation minister when it refused to accede to ‘personal interest’ requests.

Corrupt demands allegedly made by the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, led to the disruption of flights by Nigeria’s largest domestic carrier, Arik Air.

Arik Air, suspended indefinitely all its domestic operations after aviation union workers from the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) disrupted its flights out of Lagos on Thursday.

Union members gathered at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport as early as 7a.m. and prevented the airline from operating its normal flights over allegedly unpaid debts.

The union members claimed that the airline owes aviation agencies a combined debt of about N17bn, a claim the airline denies.

Despite the public knowledge of Arik’s debt, the grounding of the airline’s operations by the union members, sources say, is a reflection of the intention of Ms. Oduah.

The 5 per cent demand 

Ms. Oduah, sources told PREMIUM TIMES made a demand from Arik’s owners, a demand too much for the management to let go of.

Atiku-Okowa AD

The Vice-Chairman of Arik Air, Aniete Okon, hinted at the minister’s ‘greedy’ demand while addressing journalists in Lagos, Thursday afternoon when he said the airline is being punished for its refusal to accede to the personal interest of Ms. Oduah.

“This is a direct result to the rebuff that the minister suffered when she tried to promote personal rather than national interest,” Mr. Okon said.

Mr. Okon, fearing a direct confrontation with the minister, a close ally of President Goodluck Jonathan, declined to give details of Ms. Oduah’s demands.

Multiple and usually reliable sources however told PREMIUM TIMES that the “personal interest” Ms. Oduah demanded, was a part ownership of Arik.

NAHCON State AD NAHCON Tour Operator AD NAHCON Cargo Operator AD

Kogi AD

TEXEM Advert

“The Minister wants 5per cent share of Arik at all cost, which has been resisted by the Arik Chairman,” a close source to the two parties said.

The source also alleged that Dana Air, whose operating license was returned after suspension following its airline crash of July, agreed to the minister’s demand before it was permitted to operate again.

Arik is a dying airline

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

The Aviation Minister has however denied having personal interest in Arik.

Ms. Oduah speaking through her media assistant, Joe Obi said the allegations by Arik is a diversionary tactic.

“Arik should be advised to live up to its responsibility as a corporate citizen and stop chasing shadows,” Mr. Obi said.

He said the minister never demanded a part ownership of Arik.

“Why will the minister want to have a stake in a business that is not thriving. The minister has never and will never show an interest in an ailing firm,” Mr. Obi said.

The minister also denied having any secret deal with Dana before the lifting of its suspension.

Mr. Obi, while explaining the Ministry’s decision to lift Dana’s suspension even when the airline was yet to pay adequate compensation to all the families of the crash victims, said Ms. Oduah did the right thing.

“Where is it done that if an aircraft in a fleet has an accident, the entire aircraft is grounded?” he said, explaining that the ministry and its agencies were carrying out adequate certification of Dana’s fleet.

Mr. Obi could however not give the correct value to Arik’s debt.

How much does Arik owe

A breakdown of the sum the aviation union accuses Arik of owing shows that Arik Air owes FAAN N7bn; the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, is owed N5 billion naira; and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, over N4 billion.

Though Arik admitted it was owing the aviation agencies, it denied the circulated figures.

The airlines Managing Director, Chris Ndulue, said, “the amount the agency (FAAN) is claiming is fictitious and baseless.”

“We have an outstanding balance of N1.6bn from the period before FAAN/Ministry of Aviation started “Pay-As-You-Go (payment in advance). In January 2011, the former minister of aviation directed that such outstanding be cleared within thirty months. We have been paying down on the amount installments of N100m per month. We will continue to do so,” Mr. Ndulue said.

Mr. Obi, the minister’s spokesman questioned Arik’s integrity accusing the management of financial irresponsibility.

“Part of the money they are owing is not their money. They are part of the airfares they have collected from passengers and are supposed to remit to the government,” he said. “Instead they keep them (the money) to themselves.”

Arik is blackmailing Government 

The aviation minister also accused the Arik management of blackmailing the government.

“The decision to suspend its operations is a blackmail tool,” Mr. Obi explained. “We can never be blackmailed.”

Arik claimed it was suspending its operations nationwide due to what it described as “persistent hostility of the Ministry of Aviation and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) management.”

The management of FAAN however released a statement this afternoon distancing itself from the action of the union members.

The agency said it was “not aware of any plan by the unions to embark on the said industrial action.”

“Management considers it to be counter-productive to the current efforts being made to recover debt owed FAAN by Arik Airline or other customers.”

The agency said it was doing everything possible to resolve the issues that led to the industrial action.

Let the court be the arbiter

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, who could not travel to Abuja due to the industrial action, told PREMIUM TIMES that the union shouldn’t be preventing passengers from travelling.

“I had cause to address the leaders of the workers. I did make it clear to them that workers have no business inconveniencing passengers,” he said.

He advised that instead of disrupting the operations of the airline, the agency should take their case to the court.

“It’s the duty of regulatory agency to collect the money from the money from the airlines that are owing and if any of them refuses to pay the proper action in the circumstance is to go to court.”

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print



Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate



TEXT AD: Call Willie - +2348098788999






PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Jonathan officially halts introduction of 5,000 naira note

Next Post

Super Eagles list out next week

Nicholas Ibekwe

Nicholas Ibekwe

Nicholas Ibekwe is PREMIUM TIMES' Head of Investigations. He is a graduate of English Language from the Lagos State University. He has a Master's in International Journalism from City University, London, United Kingdom. Nicholas, who is 2016 fellow of the World Press Fellowship, has won several awards for his work including the Wole Soyinka Prize for Investigative Journalism, two-time finalist, FAIR( Forum for African Investigative Reporters) Award, and Chevening Scholarship. Twitter: @nicholasibekwe 

More News

Atiku Abubakar

2023: G5 governors endorse all PDP candidates in Enugu, silent on Atiku

January 28, 2023
A former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.

Fact check: Ex-minister lies about professor jailed for rigging election for him

January 28, 2023
NMDPRA

Nigerian petroleum agency blames cross-border smugglers for scarcity

January 28, 2023
A Photo Collage of the Slain Journalists

SPECIAL REPORT: Families of slain Nigerian journalists search for justice

January 28, 2023
United Bank of Africa, Lagos head office.

Naira Redesign: Banks announce weekend operations

January 27, 2023
The derailed train

Abuja-Kaduna train derails two months after resuming operations

January 27, 2023
Read All Comment

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2022 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Digital Store
  • Home
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Gender
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • DONATE
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Dubawa NG
  • Careers
  • Contact Us

All content is Copyrighted © 2022 The Premium Times, Nigeria