Slok Air sues Obasanjo, Yuguda

There seems to be no let in the air in the quest by the manage­ment of Slok Air to reclaim its Air Operators’ licence as the company yesterday dragged former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to court over the controversial revocation of its licence 12 years ago.

The embattled company had on Monday dragged the Federal Ministry of Avia­tion, Minister of Aviation and the Attorney-General of the Federation before a Federal High Court, Abuja, demand­ing N20 billion compensation for the grounding of its opera­tions.

But as a follow-up to the suit, Slok Air, yesterday took the bull by the horn by suing Obasanjo and his then Minis­ter of Aviation, Alhaji Isa Yu­guda, demanding N10 billion as cost of damages arising from the controversial revo­cation of its licence.

In a six-paragraph Writ of Summons filed by the com­pany’s lawyers, Messrs Amo­bi Nzelu Esq and Gabriel Ad­enyuma Esq, Slok Air urged the court to declare that nei­ther of the two defendants had right to revoke its operating licence without due process.

The Federal Government had announced the revocation of Slok Air’s Air Operators licence on March 12, 2004, barely a year after it was li­cenced. No tangible reason was offered by the Obasanjo-led Federal Government then for the action.

But in the fresh suit, Slok Air, which is being bank­rolled by the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, also urged the court to declare that political differ­ences “should not and does not constitute a valid ground for revocation of the plain­tiff’s licence.”

The summons read in parts: “A declaration that the defen­dants have no right whatso­ever without complying with the due process to revoke the operating licence granted to the plaintiff.

“A declaration that the operating licence grant­ed to the plaintiff with reference No. FMA/ ATMD/802/S.648/1/140, dated the 22nd day of April, 2003 and duly signed by the then Minister of Aviation, Dr. (Mrs.) Kema Chikwe, cannot be revoked verbally through electronic or print media without complying with the laid down procedure as relates to revocation of licence.

“A declaration that the defendants maliciously and without any justification re­voked the operating licence issued to the plaintiff.

“A declaration that the po­litical differences in whatever form or guise should not and does not constitute a valid ground for revocation of the plaintiff’s licence.

“The sum of N10 billion only being general and ag­gravated damages against the defendants jointly and sever­ally arising from the unlawful and illegal revocation of the plaintiff’s operating licence.”