FG commences collection of charges on helicopters landing on oil rigs

The federal government, through its consultant, Naebi Dynamic Concepts Limited, has inaugurated a team to drive its new initiative of collecting landing and take-off charges from helicopters operating on all oil platforms across the country.

In a statement, Chike Stanley, managing director/chief executive officer, Naebi Dynamic, said the implementation committee for Rivers state was inaugurated at the international wing of the Port Harcourt airport on Thursday.

The team included representatives of police, Department of State Services (DSS), Rivers state government and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Inaugurating the committee, Stanley said the policy would create at least 15,000 jobs nationwide, adding that he took the step in order to advance the mandate given to the firm by Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation.

Stanley said the implementation team would help the firm have easy access to all the platforms, oil rigs, airstrips, aerodromes, helipads, and helipods in Rivers state.

“Our mandate is to collect helicopter landing charges for IOCs and LOCs on all the platforms, oil rigs, airstrips, aerodromes, helipads, among others,” he said.

He added that the initiative would generate jobs and increase the internally generated revenue (IGR).

“It is also solving security problems. It has been tough, but it has been wonderful,” Stanley said.

“We are getting there. We have started. Already there is compliance at the airport and we hope to have more compliance. We thank the minister for always giving us all the support that we need.

“I thank the President of Nigeria, who has created this platform. I thank the minister of aviation, who has stood his ground to ensure that jobs are created for Nigerian youths.

“In the next five years this platform will generate employment for more than 15,000 youths across the country.

“This will help to curb some levels of insecurity. This opportunity will help to engage them.

“We have called the stakeholders to educate them on what has happened. They have written to NNPC, they have written to the ministry of petroleum. We are also taking people from these communities to train, employ and mentor.

“The essence of the meeting is a message that nobody is coming to harass any IOCs. This is a way to tell the IOCs that the government has directed access to be created to implement this.

“When you see them being received, as an IOC, you know that this is the standard practice across the global aviation industry.

“This is an implementation committee for Rivers State. We are going to move from state to state. It is an implementation team to carry out the responsibility given by the federal government.” 

On his part, Sirika said the initiative would help to increase revenue generation in the sector and create employment opportunities across the country.