The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has taken over the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Access Toll Gate following the expiration of the contract held with Integrated Intelligent Imaging West Africa Ltd.
Reports have it that FAAN’s staff in the company of aviation unions stormed the access gate around the early hours of Monday to take over the ticketing points from the former managers. FAAN had then gone ahead to mount its staff at the ticketing points after dislodging the former managers.
According to the General Secretary, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, Mr Abdulrasaq Saidu, some politicians had messed up the system through illegal concession of revenue points at the airports.
He also said that concession of the access gate was “fraudulent without a review of the contract for more than five years now,” adding that the traffic on the route had greatly increased since the last exercise was carried out.
This Saidu said was why it had become important for FAAN to take back the management of the access gate as it remains the sole responsibility of its commercial arm.
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The President of Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria, Mr Ahmadu Ilitrus shed more light on what happened and the reason behind it. He made known that since the concessionaire agreement with FAAN expired 12 months ago, Integrated Intelligent Imaging West Africa had refused to leave the toll gate.
He explained that a new concessionaire had been appointed but the former managers were adamant about leaving.
“FAAN is an employer and when it decides to terminate and appoint another new concessionaire, then, the former one should hand 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,” Ahmadu said as reported by Punch.
Why this matters: With this takeover by FAAN, the illegal concession of revenue points at the airports may be closely looked into so as to stop any fraudulent act. It may also help workers recover their revenue points to the government.