Lack of funds has made it
difficult for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to carry
out its financial obligations, THISDAY investigations have revealed.
Sources familiar with the agency’s
operations hinted that it is facing great difficulty in funding the
maintenance of its critical equipment as well as payment of staff
remunerations and pensions to its retired personnel owing to airlines’
huge indebtedness to it (NAMA).
Source THISDAY
Source THISDAY
The debts, which were traced to 2001
include the ones Nigerian airline operators refused to pay from 2001 to
2013, which attracted litigation that was later won at the Supreme
Court by the agency.
NAMA provides very critical services
fundamental to flight operations including air traffic control, visual
and non-visual aids, aeronautical telecommunication services that
enhance commercial, private and military aircraft fly in and out of
Nigeria’s airspace.
The breakdown of these debts,
THISDAY gathered revealed domestic airlines including the ones that had
closed operations in Nigeria owe the agency over N6.5billion, while
private oil companies and state governments are indebted to it to the
tune of N1.5billion, totalling N8.08billion naira.
“Airlines and other businesses must
pay for the services they are rendered. Pensions and salaries of staff
must be paid but this may be difficult if this huge sum is tied down
with the airlines,” a source at the agency told THISDAY.
THISDAY also gathered that NAMA owes
its retired staff about N18billion, which accumulated over the years
and with the dwindling revenues due to these debts, it finds it
difficult to carry out this obligation as internally generated revenue
dependent agency, which has the obligation to also remit 25 percent of
its earnings to the federation account.
NAMA and the airlines have engaged
in several meetings. It was gathered that while some of the airlines
strive to offset their bills, others have not even agreed on the terms
of liquidating their own debts.
However, the airlines that owe the
agency are also going through their own financial trauma as Nigerian
operators are faced with aviation fuel scarcity, dollar scarcity, low
traffic as a result of economic downturn and unfavorable government
policies that cause capital flights.
The Chairman, Airline Operators of
Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison said in a statement that these
times are the most difficult for airlines, which must be ingenious in
order to survive.
The airlines have therefore called
on the federal government to urgently help to address the problem, which
has caused airlines and passengers untold hardship.
Also the Regional Commercial Manager, West Africa, British Airways, Kola Olayinka said this
period is the best time for domestic airlines to go into merger and
partnership and embrace interline and code share agreements, rather than
operate individually so they don’t go under.
According to Olayinka, “Local
airlines can focus on real development in this industry and explore
their abilities to compete rather than waiting for bailouts.”
