Aviation minister disregards president’s directive on Maevis

Businessday Reporter

There is bewilderment in aviation and government circles over how the concession agreement between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and its concessionaire, Maevis Limited, was cancelled in disobedience of a clear presidential directive and it is said that there is great displeasure in the Presidency on account of this.

It is perceived in industry circles that such disobedience of Presidential directives by ranking officials leads to misrepresentation of  government’s stance on key issues and the gradual derailment of its goals and policies.
Aviation minister, Stella Oduah had written a letter to President Jonathan, with reference number HMA/01/vol.1 titled “Request for approval to cancel all under-performing concessions.”

In reply through a letter signed on behalf of President Jonathan by Ochi .C. Achinivu, senior special assistant to the president (economic matters) for chief of staff to the president however, the president said: “Please, I am to refer to your letter to His Excellency, Mr. President, Ref.No.HMA/A/VOL.1 dated December 30, 2011, on  the above subject matter.

“As the subject matter of concessioning and leasing of airport facilities is part of a wider government policy, which relates to other institutions, I am to request you to please obtain the views of establishments such as the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission on the matter and thereafter make a resubmission to Mr.President, for consideration.”

In disobedience of the directive that the aviation ministry first consult with the listed agencies and then revert to the Presidency, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had at 12 midnight on March 24, 2012, with the backing of the ministry of aviation, stormed Maevis office in Lagos to forcefully eject its workers on duty and lock up the firm’s equipment said to  be worth over N17 billion even when there was a subsisting court order restraining the authority from  sacking Maevis.

A top BPE official told BusinessDay that there was no such meeting between  officials of the BPE and the ministry of aviation as requested by the President. “We cannot speak officially on this but let me tell you that no such meeting took place”, the source who pleaded anonymity told Business Day.

Already, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to which the matter was referred by President Jonathan, said last week that there was a subsisting contract between FAAN and Maevis.
“Our position is very clear. There is a subsisting contract but if the two parties (FAAN and Maevis) feel that they do not wish to continue with the contract, which they entered into, they should part ways in accordance with the terms of the contract”, Mansur Ahmed, director-general, ICRC, told a national daily.

In the same vein, Emeka Eze, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement, said neither he nor his office was aware of any disengagement of Maevis and its replacement by another airport service provider.

FAAN had on October 31, 2007, entered into an agreement with Maevis to acquire, install, operate and manage an integrated Airport Operation Management System (AOMS), Common User Self-service System (CUSS), Flight Information Display System (FIDS) and Airport Pricing and Billing System at four airports in the coutry. The airports are Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Abuja.