The Asset Management Company of Nigeria
has taken over the management and operations Aero Contractors airline
and has appointed a manager for the carrier.
It also announced that it had hired a
reputable firm to undertake a forensic audit of the airline’s accounts
for the last five years.
Aero is Nigeria’s oldest aviation
company. It commenced business in 1959, initially providing services to
oil and gas sector, before venturing into fix wing operations in the
year 2000.
Currently, AMCON owns 60 per cent of the company with the remaining 40 per cent held by the Ibru family.
AMCON, in a statement signed by its
management and issued by the media consultancy firm of Aero Contractors
on Friday, said, “In furtherance of the statutory responsibility of
acquiring eligible bank assets and putting them to economic use in a
profitable manner, the Asset Management Company of Nigeria has dissolved
the Board of Aero Contractors and appointed a manager over the affairs
of the airline.
“AMCON is both the majority shareholder and creditor of Aero.”
According to the asset management
company, an industry based management team will be put in place to
provide the highest level of professional competence which would ensure a
quick repositioning of the Aero Contractors.
It added, “The management of AMCON
decided to make changes in the management of the airline to protect the
brand heritage of the airline, a very well cherished value. AMCON also
maintains that its intervention is in the public interest to sustain and
improve the robust and premium quality service which Aero is known for
in the country.
“AMCON would like to assure the
regulatory authorities, the traveling public and key stakeholders that
the airline will continue to operate on the solid foundation of safety
and security with excellent customer service.
AMCON has also engaged a reputable
accounting firm to undertake a forensic audit of the airline’s accounts
over the last five years.”
AMCON was established on the July 19,
2010 to be a key stabilising and re-vitalising tool established to
revive the financial system by efficiently resolving the non-performing
loan assets of the banks in the Nigerian economy.
