According to Nigeria's 'This Day newspaper the Managing Director and Marketing Director of Arik Air have just resigned because of irreconcilable differences between members of the airline's board. The MD has resigned because the company is being 'economical with the truth' in its claims that the CRJs are new and the Marketing Director because the son of the Chairman, Chief Joseph Arumemi-Johnson, has been imposed as his boss. Sounds like all too many fresh new starts in Nigeria, including Caverton, which start in a blaze of publicity and big spending only to come to naught because the 'big men' at the top won't allow the senior managers they've hired do their jobs. I still hope that Arik may turn out to be the one that's different, but this doesn't bode well.
Barely 72 hours to its commencement of operations, the Managing Director of Arik Air, Mr. Alex van Elk and the Director of Marketing, Mr. Johannes Lampe have resigned their appointments with immediate effect over what sources have described as irreconcilable differences between members of the airline's board.
THISDAY investigations last night revealed that the airline which is billed to commence operations on Monday, October 30, with the Lagos- Abuja route as the starting point is now embroiled in serious differences between members of the board prompting the resignation of van Elk and Lampe.
It was gathered that in the case of the Managing Director, he was uncomfortable with the claims that all the CRJ brand of aircraft in the airline's fleet are brand new.
According to insider sources, he was said to have told the Chairman of the airline, Chief Joseph Arumemi-Johnson that not all the aircraft were brand new as they are being paraded, adding that some of the CRJs were refurbished while some went for what is called 'D-check' in aviation parlance.
The Dutch chief executive of Arik Air was said to have tendered his resignation letter following the reluctance of the board to pander to his wishes.
His resignation, it was gathered, was tendered yesterday afternoon.
In the case of Lampe, his resignation was occasioned by the imposition one of the chairman's son as boss when in the real fact he is supposed to call the shots.
Efforts to speak with the Head of Communications of the airline, Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye were futile last night as he did not pick calls from our correspondent on both MTN and Glomobile lines.