Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport terminal 2, has disclaimed that it owes the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) N14 billion.
Instead, it said FAAN’s indebtedness to it (BASL) was about N200 billion.
Spokesman for the company, Mr. Mikail Mumuni said in a statement that the debt arose from FAAN opening and operating the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) “in a flagrant breach of the concession agreement.”
BASL was reacting to a statement by the minister of aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika who said at yesterday’s press briefing organised by the presidential communication team in Abuja that the ministry had intensified effort to recover over N37 billion debts owed by airlines with BASL owing about N14 billion and had not remitted a farthing to the federal government in more than 13 years.
“It is about N37 billion that they are owing, especially, Arik, the culprit. I know they’re owing us about, N14 billion. If you are 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,” Sirika stated.
However, BASL reacted saying: “On the contrary, it is FAAN that owes Bi-Courtney over N200 billion by depriving it of its legitimate earnings over the past 14 years.
“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.”
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.
“The N14 billion debt mentioned by the minister is totally inconsistent with the demand by FAAN, the body which has been liaising with BASL. Their last demand was about N1 billion which was promptly responded to by BASL stating categorically that there was no such debt.”
“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,” Mumuni added.
