“Imo Air is a scam” – report alleges
Imo governor Rochas Okorocha says the state now owns an airline in partnership with a private carrier. But reports say the governor may have lied.
“This is the first leg and a pilot project of Imo Air,” Okorocha said at the Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Owerri, on Tuesday.
“We hope that in the future this project would blow into a big full-scale airline.
“We are not registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). So, we are to collaborate with Dana Air.
“We have five of these aircraft, and this is the first one that we have just acquired. We hope to go to a full blown carrier by 2018. We have a partnership agreement with Dana, which spans about 10 years.
“We only gave them this aircraft for them to manage it for us because they are professional in the Nigerian aviation industry.
“Already, about 200 of our indigenes have applied to work in the new airline and will to employ them in the airline. Also, there is 10 percent discount for all Imo Indigenes who fly with the airline.”
Reports, however, say the MD83 aircraft Okorocha “commissioned” on Tuesday still belonged to Dana Air.
A particular “investigative report” said a source close to Dana Air said the state government approached the carrier for a strategic partnership, but appealed to it not to tell the public about the true ownership of the aircraft.
