Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) Of Air Nigeria Lapses Today

By: Marvin Zulu on 07:11:00

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In an open letter to the public, John Nnorom, a former Executive Director of Air Nigeria, reminded the nation that the operating licence of the airline, from which he resigned last April, will expire today.  

“This brings to an end the legal, operational and technical operations of Air Nigeria,” he said, making this day “The burial ceremony of the second Airline that Bar Jimoh Ibrahim killed in Nigeria after using the Airline to borrow massively from the banking Industry.”
Outlining the various charges and allegations against Mr. Ibrahim, the airline’s proprietor, including fraud and murder, Mr. Nnorom said:

“For Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, to have committed all these crimes and still be walking around the land of Nigeria with Police escort, I do not want to believe that Jimoh is above the law of Nigeria.  Jimoh ibrahim may fabricate lies, twist the facts and influence the press as a publisher but the truth will always prevail, no matter how long it takes”.

He pointed out that only last week the ODC, which allowed Mr. Ibrahim access to certain areas of the airport, was withdrawn, the triumph of some Nigerian who fought to achieve that objective.  He said that although the proprietor fought them for up to four hours, the gallant Nigerians would not be deterred until they defeated Mr. Jimoh and had the ODC, which he hung around his neck, taken away.
Mr. Nnorom further noted in the letter that yesterday, the staff of FAAN stopped Mr. Ibrahim from removing the computers in all AIR Nigeria office and parked them away on account of the huge debt owed them by Air Nigeria.

“Bar. JIMOH Ibrahim had gone to the AIRPORT to remove those items but FAAN gallant staff resisted him and walked him out of Air Nigeria offices,” the statement said.  

“For those that Jimoh owes, do not follow Air Nigeria staff example of going to court,” he advised.  “[Instead] collect your money from his property scattered everywhere, Jimoh Ibrahim is now a toothless bull dog. I told him that God will fight this battle for me but Jimoh Ibrahim said that the God of redeem cannot stop him. In the spiritual realm, Bar Jimoh ibrahim is finished.”

He also called on the federal government to prosecute all aviation intervention fund thieves who diverted the Bank of Industry loan to other private business and collapsed the airline in the same way as oil subsidy thieves.

“The Federal Government various intervention fund should not be treated as the sharing of the national cake,” the letter said. “This cheap loan given between 1% to 7% interest rate was not utilized for the purpose that it was created.  For Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, it was a cheap loan, which he diverted into his other businesses and closed the airline. Federal Government should prosecute the criminals. This prosecution will stop Nigerians from fraudulent misapplication of Federal Government intervention funds into other ventures.
“The case of Air Nigeria, where Bar Jimoh Ibrahim diverted N47.5billion or $317million, persecuted me so as to stop me from whistle blowing this crime, sacked all air Nigeria staff to frustrate investigations, lost nine aircraft to lessors and diverted N6billion pension fund contributed by staff, forged tax certificate of expatriates and was charged to court for tax evasion of N6Billion is a very good example to test the Federal GOVERNMENT WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION,” Nnorom said.

He further recalled that:

•    Air Nigeria took a loan of N35.5Billion from the Federal Government Aviation industry intervention fund, guaranteed by United Bank for Africa, funded by Bank of Industry, and the money was diverted by Bar Jimoh Ibrahim into Nicon Investment Ltd;
•    Air Nigeria took Afrixim loan of $40million and it was diverted into the acquisition of Energy Bank of Ghana; and
•    Air Nigeria sales proceeds of N6Billion were diverted to Nicon Investment Ltd, a family company 100% owned by Bar Jimoh Ibrahim.

“This is fraud incorporated by one man while many are suffering,” the former Air Nigeria Executive Director said.

“Having diverted all these loans amounting to $317million or N47.5Billion into his Family Company, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim announced suspension of Air Nigeria operations for the next twelve months when he is aware that the AOC of the Airline will expire within 60 days and today is the last day of Air Nigeria, the burial ceremony as the AOC expires today and the [company] shall be out of operational existence.”

He warned that Nigeria is a democracy and the money belongs to the people, saying, “This Government must give us account of how one man can be allowed to pocket such huge sum of money by criminally prosecuting Bar Jimoh Ibrahim under the Federal Government aviation intervention fund thieves.  Bar Jimoh Ibrahim must return these loans taken in the name of Air Nigeria amounting to N47.5Billion or $317million, Federal Government should recall back all sacked air Nigeria staff and ask Bar Jimoh Ibrahim to resign as the Chairman of the company. We plead for Federal Government intervention towards the recovery of our wealth stolen from Bar Jimoh Ibrahim.”

On his own part, Mr. Nnorom said that in the effort to ensure that this money which Mr. Ibrahim used to acquire properties in Dubai, Energy Bank of Ghana, Energy Bank of Sao Tome, University of Sao Tome, Newswatch magazine, National Mirror Newspaper, was never recovered, he was persecuted on false allegation of fraud/criminal conversion, but that he has been vindicated.

“I THANK GOD, I HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AND ACQUITTED FROM THAT CRIMINAL ALLEGATION by the instructions of our adorable Inspector General of Police, who sent a special squad from Abuja that investigated the false allegation, found me innocent and withdrew  the case file,” he said.  “I thank President Jonathan for appointing Abubakar, a great man of high integrity as the Inspector General of Police.

Of those who have lost their lives because at some point they had something to do with Mr. Ibrahim, he cited three cases:

1.    Dafe Onojovwo, the former Chairman of National Mirror Editorial Board: “Late Dafe objection to Jimoh Ibrahim, the Publisher and his refusal to endorse the continuous persecution of the undersigned on the pages of national mirror, explained why Jimoh Ibrahim murdered Dafe but claimed that Dafe committed suicide.”

2.    “The auditor of Nicon Insurance Plc, was assassinated few months after Jimoh Ibrahim took over the company. To date nobody asked the question what happened?  At the time this staff was invited to a meeting to see Jimoh, people were aware. On his way home, he was killed by Jimoh hired assassins. His offence was that he blocked all avenues through which Jimoh wanted to siphon money out of the company. Immediately, this staff was killed, Jimoh started transferring money out of the company. Even, the 30% shares being controlled by Federal Government, for which Nigerians were appointed to represent Federal Government in the board, could not do anything as minority shareholders. To date no board meeting has ever been held in Nicon Insurance Plc.”

3.    Miss Onyeka Okeke, a staff of Global Fleet: “When Jimoh saw her beauty for the first time, he immediately promised to marry her; posted her to his office, with regular gift, cash, foreign trips etc she became his mistress. The late Onyeka worked last in Global Fleet Oil and Gas in Lagos and was lodged by Jimoh at Bluehotel in VGC.  In the passage of time, she became pregnant and when she refused to abort the baby, Jimoh Killed Late Miss onyeka with an abortion concoction that she was forced to drink at night. While battling for survival, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim used the pillow on her bed to suffocate her. Poor girl from poor family, she has no body to fight for her. Let the human right group fighting on the abuse of woman right support our struggles to uncover this death.”

Nnorom wrote: How long shall we cry for Federal Government intervention, many have been murdered by Bar Jimoh Ibrahim in the course of this struggles. How long shall we suffer this travail for defending our nation with our own resources, many sacked air Nigeria staff are dying, our tears are dried up and we plead for Federal Govt intervention. How can this WICKEDNESS be explained to GOD, that Nigerians who worked in this establishment for the past 20years were all sacked on the pages of newspapers, thrown to the street without their pension contribution?

“Where is the power of protection by the government for the weak Nigerians?”

He reiterated his call for the prosecution of Mr. Ibrahim, whom he said “should be tried for several criminal acts in Nigeria which includes withholding tax evasion of N6Billion by FIRS, pension fund fraud of N9Billion as all Air Nigeria staff sacked by him cannot access one kobo from the pension company, since Jimoh Ibrahim did not remit money deducted from staff salary, PAYE deducted from staff salary amounting to N2Billion not remitted.”