The National Union of Air Transport Employees, (NUATE), has called on the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON to think more of the existence of Arik Air it manages than its legal battle with the owner.
This is just as the union emphasized that, if the airline is liquidated both parties will gain nothing.
Secretary General, NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba at a news conference in Lagos said, the industry cannot afford to witness another batch of staff thrown into the labour market after the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry.
He said, the matter at hand is purely financial and not legal fireworks to determine who would own or run the airline.
“We dare say that the matter we are dealing with at this stage is not a legal matter, but a purely financial one. Therefore, its resolution can only be through financial engineering, and not legal fireworks”.
Comrade Aba however urged AMCON and the owner of Arik Air, Sir Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide to cooperate and chart a new way forward, stating that, aside the workers, the two entities have the most to Gain, or lose, from the state of the airline.
“We sincerely appeal to all parties to agree to a truce and start now to work in alliance to assure the health of the Airline. A healthy Arik Air should be the objective, and in fact the interest, of all. Anything else will do no one any good”.
The NUATE scribe recalled investigation revealed that, the airline was taken over by AMCOM due to absence of proper due diligence, needs assessment, impacts assessment, forecast analysis, clear business and operational objectives and not properly founded by it owner.
Secretary General, NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba at a news conference in Lagos.
Radio Nigeria reports that AMCON as receiver manager on February 9, 2017, Arik Air was indebted to it to the tune of about N180 billion, while its total assets value was about N80 billion.
