A forensic audit is needed in the aviation sector, especially the Aviation Ministry, in view of alleged sky high corruption by officials, says Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, Arik Air Chairman.
He spoke at the 2015 Breakfast Meeting of stakeholders organised by the Aviation Round Table (ART) in Lagos, where he alleged that officials of the ministry hinder the growth of Nigerian registered airlines because they favour foreign airlines.
Arumemi-Ikhide alleged that “many of the civil servants in the Aviation Ministry are richer than many airline operators as a result of their corrupt practices and collection of bribes from some foreign airlines in the allocation of routes.”
He said for example, the ministry approved the Johannsburg-Abuja route for South Africa Airways apart from the Johannseburg-Lagos route, but Arik’s application for a second entry point into Cape Town under former Aviation Minister, Stella Adaeze-Oduah, was turned down.
His words: “We also wanted to code-share with Etihad Airline, they frustrated our move. Again, we tried to go to Libreville, the civil servants in the ministry blocked us by not attending to our request.
“This is why I disagree with people who say that Nigerian registered airlines are weak. Nigerian civil servants who are supposed to protect Nigerian airlines favour foreign airlines because of what they receive at the detriment of Nigerian carriers.”
Arumemi-Ikhide also disclosed that after Arik had signed an agreement with Lufthansa Airlines to establish a maintenance, repair organisation (MRO), the land allocated to Arik in Lagos was divided into two.
He lamented that half of the plot was allocated to Nest Oil and the other half became inadequate to build an MRO hangar.
He insisted that the attitude of civil servants contributes more to the lack of development in aviation and they “are responsible for all the negative happenings in the industry.”
Arumemi-Ikhide said he is not opposed to the establishment of a new national carrier as long as all existing airlines and the national carrier are given a level playing field.
He disclosed that Arik Air would be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange by May 2016 and urged investors to buy shares in the airline when it is listed.