The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) workers on Monday took over the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Access Toll Gate from the Integrated Intelligent Imaging West Africa Ltd. (ICUBE) one year after expiration of the contract.
The workers in their hundreds, under the supervision of the four aviation unions, besieged the access gate as early as 7.00a.m on Monday and took over the control of ticketing points from ICUBE managers.
The workers after dislodging the ICUBE staff, drafted staff of the commercial department to man the gates.
Briefing newsmen, Mr Abdulrasaq Saidu, the General Secretary, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), who supervised the takeover, said that management of the access gate remained the sole responsibility of Commercial Department of FAAN.
Saidu alleged that some politicians had messed up the system through illegal concession of revenue points at the airports.
He said concession of the access gate was “fraudulent without a review of the contract for more than five years now”, adding that the traffic of the route had greatly increased since the last exercise was carried out.
Saidu also alleged that some individuals in FAAN and the Ministry of Aviation had compromised over the access gate, saying that government was losing revenue from there.
He explained that following series of meetings held with the Minister of Aviation and FAAN Managing Director at different occasions.
It was made known to them that workers were going to take over the access gate to raise its revenue.
Reacting, Mr Ahmadu Ilitrus, President, Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), told NAN that the concessionaire agreement with FAAN expired 12 months ago, and the company had refused to leave the toll gate.
Ilitrus said that the government had appointed a new concessionaire, but the company refused to hand over the toll gate to FAAN.
“FAAN is an employer, and when it decides to terminate and appoint another new concessionaire, then, the former one should have handed over.
“But, the former concessionaire refused to hand over after the appointment has been terminated, so what do you expect FAAN workers to do?
“That is why FAAN workers went to the toll gate this morning to take over the place and this is quite unfortunate.
“If the former concessionaire has dissatisfaction to the agreement that was initiated at the beginning, then, there are some ways of resolving it, but how can you hold on to the revenue point,” he asked.
Ilitrus noted that the protest was initiated by FAAN workers, but the unions only went there to ensure law and order in the taking over.
The union president said the concessionaire sometimes would approach FAAN that its workers were “stealing toll gate funds”.
Also, the Deputy National President of Air Transport, Mr Sarah Rimdams, said workers came to recover their revenue points to the government as the contract with ICUBE expired in February. 2019.
“We are at the access gate to test run this place to actually know how much can be generated monthly.
“This will definitely bring more revenue being remitted by the concessionaire to the FAAN account.
Reacting to the takeover, the Manager, ICUBE, Mr Toluwaleke Abajingin, told newsmen that he was surprised to see workers and unions taking over the access gate in the early hours of Monday.
Abajingin said the case was in court between Rosepine Intergrated Ltd., FAAN and ICUBE, adding that as a responsible organisation, ICUBE staff did not resist.
He said ICUBE had been paying FAAN up to date and that the company was never informed about any upward review of the contract or otherwise.
Abajingin said there was a first right of refusal, adding that FAAN had not communicated to ICUBE on the agreement. (NAN)
