THE BIBLE NATIVITY STORY STATED ...

...that the wise men came from the east. The sun, we know, rises in the east. It would therefore not be strange if the salvation for the moribund Nigerian Aviation Sector comes from the East.

It is on record that the Kenya Airways/KLM alliance and Ethiopian Airlines had expressed interest to buy into the then defunct Nigeria Airways and subsequently Air Nigeria when Richard Branson's Virgin Group pulled out of Virgin Nigeria. I have no interest in relitigating the sordid performance of the Nigerian Government in the pact with Virgin.

However it would be interesting learning from Dr Kema Chikwe and her boss OBJ how they tossed aside the bids from two of Africa’s leading, well managed and profitable airlines. How can anyone explain away the Jimoh Ibrahim disaster?

We are at it again. This time with Arik Air. I believe that as usual Chief Arumemi Ikhide is probably still strutting all over Abuja, Lagos and Benin without being answerable for the waste of our common patrimony. Everybody is aware of the sweetheart terms under which Arik took over the hard assets and routes belonging to Nigeria Airways. And they still blew it! ! We have no shame.

If AMCON is serious about reviving and stabilizing Arik Air using best practices, why then are we not hearing of a robust competition between Ethiopian Airlines and Kenyan Airways in this regard? This process must be open/transparent and speedy. We cannot afford anymore foot dragging.