Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos Terminal Two (MMA2), says it does not owe the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) any amount at all.
On Thursday, Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, said the aviation company owed FAAN N14 billion.
“If you’re owing government, you are owing FAAN, the Bi-Courtney is owing about N14 billion as at the last count. It has not paid a single dime since the time he started to run the terminal building. And we have not ceased giving him, electricity, water, fire cover, and so on and so forth. He hasn’t paid a dime for 13 years,” Sirika had said.
In a statement, Mikail Mumuni, group corporate affairs manager of Bi-Courtney, described the minster’s claim as false.
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He said FAAN actually owed the company over N200bn.
“On the contrary, it is FAAN that owes Bi-Courtney over N200bn by depriving it of its legitimate earnings over the past 14 years,” he said.
He explained that the debt arose by FAAN opening and operating the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), thus competing with BASL with government money in the running of the domestic terminal in a flagrant breach of the concession agreement.
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“BASL in line with the dispute resolution process contained in the agreement had an arbitration award in its favour. It also got the judgement of a High Court, six Court of Appeal judgements and a Supreme Court judgement, all in its favour and sustained the monetary award,” he said.
Mumuni said the courts ruled that any debt that may be alleged against BASL by FAAN should be deducted from the credit judgement after due verification.
According to him, the N14 billion debt mentioned by Sirika was totally inconsistent with the demand by FAAN, the body which has been liaising with BASL.
“Their last demand was about N1bn which was promptly responded to by BASL stating categorically that there was no such debt,” Mumuni said.
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“We believe that minister was not properly briefed by FAAN as we also pay our electricity bills as and when due. We equally provide elaborate security at the terminal which has continued to attract commendation from stakeholders. ”
He said BASL is a law abiding company and will continue to obey the laws of the land while providing exceptional services at its facilities.
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