Union urges NASS to revisit MMA2 concession

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has called on the National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation to revisit the concession agreement on the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2), Lagos.
Mr Olayinka Abioye, General Secretary of NUATE, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
He said that the lawmakers recently met with aviation stakeholders following the lingering dispute over the exercise.
Abioye said that the Joint Committee, chaired by Sen. Hope Uzodinma, also met with the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, on the matter.
The Federal Government and the Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the MMA2, had been at loggerheads over the concession agreement which was signed in May 2007.
Recently, some aviation unions accused BASL of owing the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) N2 billion.
This allegation, however, resulted in a counter-claim by the firm that both FAAN and the federal government were indebted to it to the tune of N200 billion.
“On Wednesday, aviation unions held a fruitful brainstorming session under a very friendly and serene atmosphere with the Joint Committee of parliament drawn from the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Aviation.
“The deliberations were aimed at taking a position over the proposed concession of four International airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.
“We deliberated on an array of thought provoking issues, ranging from compromising the nation’s security, as airports remain a major entry point to our country.
“We also discussed the place of all workers and the exact part of the airport to be put up for concession, ’the NUATE scribe told NAN.
Abioye said the lawmakers had promised to investigate the process that led to the emergence of the Transaction Advisers.
He said the lawmakers’ intervention was aimed at stopping further distraught on the proposed concession of the four viable airports. (NAN)