CONCESSION: FAAN, MAEVIS PART WAYS AT LAST

By DANIEL ETEGHE
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and its concessionaire, Maevis Limited have finally gone their separate ways due to the termination of the concession agreement between both parties in the early hours of Saturday, March 24, 2012 by FAAN.

FAAN had argued that the concession agreement was lopsided, favouring only Maevis Limited and therefore called for both parties to renegotiate the terms of the agreement, but Maevis refused.

Speaking on the termination of the concession agreement between FAAN and Maevis, Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. George Uresi said the agreement had been terminated since May 23, 2011 adding that what FAAN only did in the early hours of Saturday was to enforce the termination of the agreement with Maevis.

Also supporting the decision of the government to terminate the FAAN/MAEVIS agreement, the National President of Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Benjamin Okewu affirmed that the unions were happy with the termination of the concession agreement with Maevis.

But speaking against the termination of the concession agreement, Executive Director of Maevis Limited, Mrs. Olatokunbo Fagbemi  said   that FAAN's action to terminate the concession agreement entered into by both parties since October 2007, contravened the ruling of the court.

Mrs. Fagbemi pointed out that the action taken by FAAN at about 12am on Saturday, March 24, 2012 to forcibly break into Maevis' Data Centres and Intermediate Distribution Facility (IDF) both at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja was a total disregard to the rule of law.

Mr. Uresi  said: ''The concession agreement between FAAN and Maevis ended May 23, 2011 but it took a while to actually enforce the termination but at as last night, we terminated the agreement fully and we now have a new service provider called SITA.'

Mr. Uresi stressed that the concession agreement was terminated because of the irregularities perpetrated by its concessionaire, Maevis, adding that Maevis could not remit the expected $1.40 cents per passenger to FAAN and it also collected about 35 per cent of revenue it generates for FAAN called enhancement revenue.

'Last night, we changed our check-in service provider. Previously, we had our check-in service provider called Maevis. We approached this organisation several times to renegotiate the terms of our agreement, even the Chairman of the Board of Directors led by Mr. Ebitimi Banigo called on Maevis and they refused to do so.

So left with no options, FAAN gave them a termination notice as at February 24, 2011' Uresi stressed. He, however, noted that the termination was a major step taken by FAAN in recovering its revenues adding that whatever FAAN had done, was done in the interest of the traveling public and Nigerians at large.

According to him, another check-in service provider, SITA, has taken  over from Maevis. SITA would help in improving FAAN's generated revenue as well as increase its cash flow to FAAN.

He, however, debunked the claim that Maevis was generating revenue for FAAN noting that the airport generates revenue for itself.

Commenting on the court injunction, Mr. Uresi said 'What I can say is that FAAN has acted in everything that was done legally. So let the court decide, our action was proper and legal. So whatever needs to be resolved will be resoled by the court'.

With the termination of Maevis agreement which was signed in 2007 and terminated on May 23rd 2011, SITA becomes the new check-in provider for FAAN.

SITA is one of the world leading specialist in air transport communication and information technology that works closely with every sector of the air transport community.