AON commends judiciary for ruling against Nigeria Air sale
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has commended the Nigerian Judiciary for its recent ruling against the controversial sale of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines.
In a statement signed by AON President Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, the association expressed gratitude to the judiciary for upholding justice.
On Monday, Justice A. Alagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos ruled against the sale, stating that the transaction violated multiple regulatory statutes, including the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, SEC Nigeria Consolidated Rules & Regulations 2013 (as amended in 2022), Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) Act, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Convention, Civil Aviation Act, Public Procurement Act, Concession Regulatory Commission (Est.) Act, 2005, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, and Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, 2015.
The court declared the sale of Nigeria Air shares to Ethiopian Airlines and its consortium invalid and void. Justice Alagoa further ruled that Ethiopian Airlines was not competent to bid for shares in Nigeria Air or commence business operations.
Consequently, the court ordered the revocation and cancellation of the Air Transport License (ATL) issued by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to Nigeria Air Limited. A perpetual injunction was also issued to prevent any continuation or transfer of Nigeria Air’s operations to Ethiopian Airlines.
Reacting to the judgment, AON described the court’s declarations and orders as “bold and patriotic,” asserting that the entire bidding process was a sham designed to hand over Nigeria’s aviation market to Ethiopian Airlines without any investment in the Nigerian economy.
The statement continued, “We thank the court for standing tall in the face of untold pressure from very high quarters and for exonerating AON and other well-meaning Nigerian indigenous airlines for going to court to protect the interest of Nigeria. The court has proven truly to be the only hope of the common man.”
The association also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo for suspending the Nigeria Air process, acknowledging Keyamo’s alignment with the truth for the country’s sake.
