Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON Thursday took over the management and ownership of Arik Air and appointed Capt. Roy Ukpebo Ilegbodu as the Managing Director.
The airline is indebted to AMCON to the tune of 135 Billion Naira. Operatives of EFCC on Wednesday invaded the premises of the airline and whisked away the Executive Chairman of the airline, Chief Johnson Arumemi-Ikedi to their Lagos office
A statement from AMCON yesterday said : “From all indications, respite may have come the way of Arik Airlines currently immersed in heavy financial debt burden that is threatening to permanently ground the airline. For some time now, the airline, which carries about 55% of the load in the country, has been going through difficult times that are attributable to its bad corporate governance, erratic operational challenges, inability to pay staff salaries and heavy debt burden among other issues, which led to the call for authorities in the country to intervene before Arik goes under like many before it”.