The federal government is set to investigate a consultant, Naebi Dynamic Concepts Limited for collecting landing and takeoff charges from helicopters operating on all platforms across the country.
The minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Festus Keyamo, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ forum held at the weekend in Lagos.
A lawyer and stakeholder, Mr Lawrence Fubara Anga, had raised the issue at the forum questioning the legality of the company to collect charges as if it was a government agency.
Anga said the company was collecting fees for NAMA without due process.
The lawyer who also questioned the identity of the organisation said: “Naebi Dynamic Concepts takes US$300 for every take off and every landing. It is not Nigerian Airspace Management Agency’s (NAMA) responsibility to collect landing fees. Whoever owns the Aerodrome is paid landing charges.
“Who is Naebi Dynamics? Does the NCAA regulate them? Are they the Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP)? Most importantly and dangerously, they are going to official facilities and are actually taking charge as if they are government officials, risking the Nigeria oil industry,” he said.
Responding, the managing director of NAMA, Mr Tayib Odunowo, said his attention was called to the matter when he resumed at the agency and that he took up the matter with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
In his reaction, Keyamo asked Anga to send a petition to his office and assured him that the ministry would investigate the matter.
Recall that the federal government had in October 2022 appointed the company to commence the collection of take-off and landing charges from helicopters operating across the country.
Under the agreement, the firm is to acquire multi-million naira facilities and build a multinational control room centre to monitor and record choppers that fly within and from outside.
Then minister of aviation and airspace development, Mr Hadi Sirika said at the signing ceremony in Port Harcourt, Rivers State that the initiative would help to increase revenue generation and create employment opportunities.
Similarly, the chief executive officer of the company, Mr Chike Stanley said Naebi was not meant only to collect money but also to work with NAMA to improve on the equipment on the ground provided by the federal government.
“Our mandate is to collect helicopter landing charges for IOCs and LOCs on all the platforms, oil rigs, airstrips, aerodromes, helipads, among others. The initiative is to generate jobs and increase the internally generated revenue.
“It is also solving security problems. It has been tough but it has been wonderful. 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.
“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 level of insecurity. This opportunity will help to engage them. We have called the stakeholders to educate them on what has happened,” Stanley said.
