At the moment, President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government of Nigeria is reviewing its aviation policies to boost stakeholders’ confidence and a safer air for travellers.
Players in the industry are also up in their sleeves, proffering options to the challenges bedeviling the aviation sector.
Ahmed Kuru, Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, joined voice with the litany of voices in suggesting solutions.
Specifically, he said the government should convert Arik Airline to national carrier.
His suggestion is not unconnected with the worrisome debt profile of not only the airline but other individuals and institutions debts in Nigeria.
Kuru, who stated this at the July edition of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting at Oriental Hotel, Lagos, maintained that the government may lose over N5 trillion bad loans owned by high networth individuals who are now in top positions as Senators and Ministers in government .
“My honest advice is that Arik should be converted into a national carrier. That is the just the way to go.”
Kuru however submitted that AMCON is working with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC including the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) to produce a full-length television documentary of notorious and recalcitrant obligors.
He lamented that the disturbing bent of the scenario is that these obligors have cleverly manipulated their way to emerge as members of the national assembly, ministers, chairmen of multinationals as well as Universities’ Pro-Chancellors.
He submitted that “These are men and women who go to banks, borrow monies with no intention to pay and in the process bring down banking institutions. It takes a lot for a bank to fail. AMCON just rescued Skye Bank with an investment of nearly N1trn.”
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