Date Published: 10/05/09

Dear Editor Sir,

Bi-Country and Arik Air

The federal government has given in, as it were, on the concession of the Lagos Airport to Bi-Country and the Arik Air is regretting to leave the part of the airport that involved this exercise because they were already there. Well Arik Air has no choice on the matter.

But as if to say that since what it would be missing at the Lagos Airport, it can get from Akwa Ibom; probably that informed the statement by Arik Air Vice Chairman, Senator Aniete Okon, in which he said the company would invest N30billion in the Ibom airport, a facility which Akwa Ibom State government claimed it invested N45billion to complete.

The questions now are: Would Arik’s proposed investment means that it would control about 66% equity in the Ibom Airport project? If so, it would mean that the concession status granted Bi-country which Arik was against is what it wants happen in Akwa Ibom. Would Akwa Ibom people accept that Arik takes over majority equity in the project? Who are the present owners of Arik in real sense of it? The people should consider this and the news making the round now may turn out to be the biblical “voice of Jacob but hand of Esau” just as many people are saying that the former President Obansanjo has a hand in the Bi-country.

Whatever the case, it is a matter of time; and the facts would play out.

Dr. Peter Kosowei,

421 Aba Road,

P.H., Rivers State

peterkosowei@yahoo.com