FAAN, Edo Trade Accusations over Shutdown of Benin Airport

The administrative office of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) located in the Benin-City Airport, was Tuesday morning shut down by the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue (ESBIR), over alleged unremitted N15 million Pay As You Earn (PAYE) deductible tax from staff salary for 2011.

It was gathered that the action led to the grounding of air operations and other services at the airport, thereby forcing the workers out of the airport for the failure of the agency to pay taxes, which were long overdue.

Consequently, hundreds of passengers, who were billed to travel to either Lagos or Abuja were locked out of the entrance and exit gates of the airport, while Arik Air passengers, who landed early in the morning were not allowed to go out through the gates of the airport.

THISDAY gathered that the airport was closed after Arik Air operated its early morning service by 7.30 a.m. and as the air traffic controllers landed the aircraft, thus grounding the Arik Air flight and passenger on the outboard back to Lagos; after those brought to Benin-City were disembarked.

Both Aero Contractors and Arik Air cancelled all flights to the airports together with charter operators until 3.p.m. when the airport was reopened and the Arik Air flight that was inadvertently grounded was allowed to fly back to Lagos with passengers.

THISDAY also learnt that both Aero and Arik might operate their evening fights to the airport but officials of the two airlines were sceptical that their aircraft might be impounded even after a seeming truce was reached between FAAN and the revenue body.
 

The closure and suspension of air control services from the airport may have affected air operations to the other airports adjacent to Benin City as pilots communicate to air traffic controllers en route to their final destinations in addition to over flyers on international routes.

The Chairman of the state BIR, Chief Oseni Elamah, told journalists that the action followed the failure of FAAN to remit N15 million tax deducted from workers’ salary for the year 2011.

“In the past, we had to use judicial means to get the money from them. This time, we served them notice but they failed to respond to it. We had to served them court notice to that effect, which they still did not respond to. Hence, we have to come and seal up their administrative office,” he said.

 Following this development, Elamah, who supervised the exercise, had the gates opened, saying it was the administrative office of FAAN that was locked, and not gates of the airport.

“It was a deliberate attempt to blackmail us. It was their office we sealed, and not the gates,” Elamah said.

The Benin City Airport Manager, Mr. Sunday Ayodele, could not be reached for comments as he was being whisked away by operatives.

THISDAY gathered that the Airport Manager was whisked away by security operatives because of his attack on the cameraman attached to BIR taskforce.

He was alleged to have smashed the camera used for filming the incident.

Reacting to the incident, the General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, condemned the closure of the airport without notice and said the revenue board should have explored all avenues of communication to establish their message instead of carrying out such action, which could threaten the safety and security of the airport.

Dati said significant revenue had been lost by airlines, the airport authority as well as the airspace agency for many flights by domestic airlines in and out of the airport, as well as other over flyers of the airspace.

The FAAN general manager, who absolved the state government of any political motive in the issue, remarked that the matter could have been resolved amicably without disrupting operations at Benin Airport.

Meanwhile, Governor Adams Oshiomohole had condemned the assault on Elamah by agents of FAAN.

The governor also frowned on the arrest of Elamah, on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, saying the police ought to protect the man trying to enforce the law and not the lawbreaker.

 He said the due process of law will be applied to pursue the matter and called for the release of Elamah.

According to the governor, “the Edo State government did not seal up the airport, the revenue board staff went there peacefully to do their job. The authority of the revenue board went to serve an ‘order’ on the administrative office of FAAN, it was done in a way to ensure that it does not affect the operations of the airport knowing that the airport is a public place and as much as we want to collect taxes due to government, we don’t want to inflict pains on travellers who are not a party to the issue of tax evasion.”

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/faan-edo-trade-accusations-over-shutdown-of-benin-airport

 Culled fromThisday

Authors: Chinedu Eze and Adibe Emenyonu