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By Chinelo Obogo
The legal battle between Bi-Courtney Aviation Services (BASL) and Federal Airports Authority over the concession of Murtala Muhammed Airport (2) after it was razed by fire in May 2000 has continued to negatively impact the infrastructural upgrade of the facility over the past many years.
Prior to the inferno that devastated the airport, it was being managed by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) before the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo opted to reconstruct it by way of Public-Private-Partnership arrangement on a Build-Operate- Transfer (BoT) basis.
But since the completion and reopening of the terminal for operations in May 2007, BASL and FAAN have been engrossed in a legal tussle bordering on the terms and conditions of the concession over the last 16 years.
The Authority said the concession was for a period of 12 years, while BASL insisted that it was for 36 years and that the General Aviation Terminal (MM1) was part of the concession deal, backing its claim with a Supreme Court ruling in its favour.
However last month, when the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. Kabir Muhammed, who took office in May this year, met with the chairman of BASL, Dr. Wale Babalakin the assurance was that his administration will improve on the frosty relationship between both organisations, through forging new partnerships that will benefit both parties.
This week, the Chief Operating Officer of BASL, Tosan Duncan, told aviation reporters during a facility tour of the airport, how the company was forging a better relationship with FAAN after years of dispute. He said this has led to more upgrade of facilities at the terminal for optimal performance.
“In recent times, we have embarked on a new journey of collaboration and partnership, working hard at forging a strong bond with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, under whose auspices we operate as a privileged, public-private partnership. This connection is not merely political or economic; it’s a testament to the synergy that drives progress in our modern world. This new found friendship enables us to continually enhance the services we provide and contributes to the growth of the aviation sector in our region.
“MMA2 isn’t just an airport; it’s a dynamic ecosystem. With over 190 rental spaces housing local and international eateries, banks, travel services, and an array of shops, we’re not just facilitating travel. We’re creating a miniature version of modern life. From literature to luxury, telecommunications to fashion, we cater to diverse tastes and preferences.
“We’re not just processing people; we’re building a lifestyle community; a space where serenity and self-assuredness coexist, offering a respite from the fast-paced world beyond these walls. Let us not forget the arts that breathe life into our terminal. The Art Gallery, a hub of creativity, allows passengers to engage with culture as they traverse our halls. And as we look toward the future, our multi-storey car park is being transformed to provide a range of parking options and streamlined payment methods,” she said.
During that facility tour, the Head, Operations BASL, Mr. Blessing Ewah, pointed out the terminal has been ready over the past 10 years to commence regional operations but that ‘politics’ had gotten in the way of its operations. He also revealed the company spent N600 million to put all the needed facilities in place for the regional operations but regretted that the Federal Government has delayed the signing off of the operations without giving any clear reasons.
This was even as the Ministerial Committee on Airport Security in 2016, certified the airport fit for the commencement of regional operations.
Ewah said all the agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), had assessed and approved the facilities after all necessary requirements were met and expressed sadness that the huge amount sank into the regional operations has not yielded any return on investment (ROI).
“We are actually ready, the terminal is ready. Gates five and six here have been dedicated for regional flights. We have invested over N600 million in the facilities for this operation and we have not recouped one naira. It all started in 2014. The issue of regional operations is not a regulatory issue, it is not political and so we are dealing with that politically as well. Everything that was required to start regional operations we have met and this was inspected by the NCAA.
“We are now in new times and we are all positive the infrastructure for regional operations are still in place and we believe that in little or no time we will start and at the end of the day, this will be for the benefit of the industry if you are to start regional operations out of our terminal,” he said.
Ewah also revealed that BASL still has 20 years left to operate the ‘Design, Build, Operate, and Transfer (DBOT)’ agreement it signed with the FG through FAAN as a Private-Public-Partnership. “Since then, we have come a long way from our first day of flight operation being 7th May, 2007.
The journey has not been easy, but with doggedness and a sense of patriotism worthy of emulation by the chairman of Resort Group, for which Bi-Courtney is a part of, Dr. Wale Babalakin and members of staff of the organisation have waded through the murky waters of doing business in Nigeria with a very lean financial war chest, but plenty of cerebral input.
“MMA2 currently has a staff strength of over 420. We have 103 tenants out of 192 spaces which are available and this represents 67% occupancy rate and 33% vacancy rate. We have generators apart from the two major electricity lines coming from the power supply authority in addition to its four turbines, that all ensure constant availability of electricity power,” Ewah said.
On the security situation at the airport, the head, Aviation Security, Monica Oguta, said that over 164 closed circuit televisions have been installed and functioning all around the facility and at the car park to ensure round the clock surveillance and that these devices has contributed a great deal in helping them solve crime. She also said that besides uniformed security officers, there are plain clothed ones deployed to different parts of the terminal carrying out surveillance operations to ensure that any person with sinister motive does not have access to the terminal.
“The terminal is one hundred percent covered with CCTV. There are numerous examples when we caught passengers stealing and we handed them over to security agents. I can tell you the terminal is safe and secure. Very soon, our security men will start wearing body cameras so as to monitor their conversation with passengers,” she said.
