Bi-Courtney Denies Indebtedness to FAAN, Insists Agency is Owing N200bn

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) has denied any indebtedness to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as alleged by labour, which last weekend noted that the concession of the domestic terminal (MMA2) being operated by BASL, was not a successful transaction, as Nigerians were made to believe. Labour said the concession, done on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement had pit falls, including the huge debts the terminal operator owed FAAN. But spokesman of BASL, Chief Steve Omolale said in a press statement that the company was not owing FAAN. “Our attention has been drawn to the press conference of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN) and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) held on October 10, 2017. At the press conference, the unions stated that Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Two (MMA2), owe FAAN the sum of N200 billion. We have decided to respond to prevent the unions from misleading the public,” he said. Omolalle said Bi-Courtney was not indebted to FAAN, but on the contrary, it was FAAN and the Federal Government that were indebted to BiCourtney for an amount now in excess of N200 billion, adding that N132billion of this sum was confirmed by a court of competent jurisdiction in 2012 in the case of Bi-Courtney Ltd vs. AG Federation (FHC/ABJ/ CS/50/2009). “Contrary to the clear provisions of the Concession Agreement, the Coordinating Committee set up by the Attorney-General of the Federation and the decision of the Court of Law, FAAN continues to operate the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), which belongs to Bi-Courtney, thus depriving BASL of over 50% of its revenue. This is a very poor advertisement for any nation seeking to attract private capital for development. “The unions are aware of this position but have chosen to fabricate irresponsible falsehoods in a bid to discredit BASL and mislead the public. Fortunately, the public is more discerning. It is common knowledge that the aforementioned unions (NUATE, ATSSAN and NUP) actually challenged the Concession Agreement in court and lost the case in Appeal No. CA/A/141/M/2009,” Omolale said. He also observed, “It appears that the unions are seeking to undermine the decision of a Federal Court. There is no better time to remind the unions that Nigeria is a country of laws and all citizens are bound by the laws of the country. “We at MMA2 are very proud that we run the most efficient airport terminal in Nigeria. We have demonstrated clearly that, if given the opportunity, a Nigerian company is capable of delivering exceptional services, particularly in the provision of critical infrastructure. Given that we operate on five per cent of the revenue of Murtala Mohammed. International Airport, our achievements over the years are deserving of commendation from all quarters,” Omolale added.