ESAT News (September 11, 2017)
Arik Air, a Nigerian airline, has filed a 55.6 million dollars suit against the the Nigerian government and Ethiopian Airlines over recent news in the media that Ethiopian Airlines was negotiating with the Nigerian government to takeover the management of Arik Air Limited.
According to a copy of the suit obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos, the plaintiff asked the court to restrain the first and second defendants from further negotiations on the takeover of Arik Air.
“The plaintiff avers that the agreement of the second defendant with the first defendant will be wide ranging and intricately affect every aspect of the plaintiff herein, including but not limited to the day to day running technical as well as financial management which will affect the plaintiff as being the largest domestic and regional airline in Nigeria.”
“The plaintiff further avers that the action taken by the first and second defendants will have a negative effect on the country’s image as the plaintiff being the largest airline will be pawned over to another country for management,” it said.
The plaintiff also averred that the negotiations had caused undue hardship and irreparable damage to the Arik Air brand and ongoing investment discussions as well as unbearable distress to the airline’s shareholders and directors, according to the Premium Times of Nigeria.
The plaintiff asked the court to declare the negotiations null and void because the Ministry of Transportation had no power to transfer the management of the airline to Ethiopian Airlines while the suits over the takeover are pending.
The plaintiff also asked the court for an order directing the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure the investigation of Ethiopian Airlines by the appropriate authorities for inducing and interfering in the administration of justice in the pending suits, the Times of Nigeria reported.