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NAMA to shut airports, airstrips over N4b debts
- Airlines to divert flights
If the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) makes good its threat, many aerodromes and airstrips owned by private firms and state governments may come under closure over humongous debts in excess of N4 billion incurred over the years.
Woleshadarenews learnt that most of the aerodromes are hugely indebted to NAMA just as paucity of funds has stretched the finances of the airspace agency as many airlines, airports and airstrips operators have reneged in paying for services rendered by the agency which relies on revenue generated from its services to pay workers and maintain its highly powerful navigation equipment which run on electricity or generating plants for 24 hours.
A top official in NAMA who spoke to our correspondent on strict condition of anonymity said the airspace managers may soon shut nearly all private airstrips in the country.
Top on the list of the private airstrips is Osubi said to be indebted to NAMA to the tune of N500 million which the private firm allegedly refused to offset.
Many other air strips/ airports are said to have been put on the alert to reconcile their debts. Some of them are Azare airstrip in Bauchi, Bacita airstrip in Kwara, Bajoga airstrip in Gombe, Bebi airstrip in Cross River Bida airstrip in Niger, Eket airstrip in Akwa Ibom, Escravos airstrip in Delta, Gusau airstrip in Zamfara state.
Others are Nguru airstrip in Yobe state, Potiskum airstrip in Yobe, Shiroro airstrip in Niger and Tuga airstrip in Kebbi.s
NAMA had in a circular issued on August 29, 2018 said it was withdrawing Air Traffic Services (ATC) from Osubi Airport from 0000 hours on September 3, 2018 until further notice. The agency however however gave no reason for the action.
In order to minimise the disruption of travel plans of its valued customers, Arik Air said all its flights into Osubi Airport Warri from Lagos and Abuja would be diverted to land at the Benin Airport from Monday, September 3, 2018, until the Warri Airport is reopened.
The action of NAMA could force the operator of the airstrip/airport to reconcile its debts with the agency because the airport is very strategic to oil firms, players in the oil and gas sector and its proximity to many places in Delta State.
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 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 which fly in and out of Nigeria’s airspace.
The agency had in 2016 given the breakdown of debts owed it by airlines and others.
The breakdown of these debts, it was 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. This amount according to sources has increased.
It was also gathered that NAMA owes its retired staff about N18 billion, 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.
All efforts made by NAMA to make them service the huge debts failed to yield even when their refusal to pay up has started taking its toll on the agency as it is finding it tough to carry out major safety projects across the airports presently.
After several efforts to make the managers of the private airports see why they should pay up failed, the management of the agency has concluded plans to withdraw its services from the indebted airstrips.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government first drew up plans to build an airport in Osubi in the late 1970s to allow easy transport into Warri city by air because of its status as an oil city, but the plan languished for over two decades.
Meanwhile, people coming in and out of Warri continued to use the old airstrip in a congested part of the city.
The airstrip could only accommodate small aircraft on its short runway, so that whenever a plane took off or landed, the authorities had to close off an adjacent road to traffic so that a passing car would not be clipped.
Finding it harder and harder to conduct business with the old airstrip, Shell Petroleum decided to build one on its own.
The airport was commissioned and opened for commercial use on April 1, 1999 with Shell (SPDC) landing a modern Dornier 328 and Aero Contractors 50-passenger Dash aircraft at the Osubi airport.
Since the airstrip opened for public use, it is reckoned to be one of the busiest aviation facilities in Nigeria and it is being operated in partnership with other oil companies.
The maintenance and facilities are among the best in the country and traffic flow is one of the highest. In the first six months of the opening of Osubi Airstrip, more than 100,000 passengers passed through just as it handled 3,500 aircraft movements.
The Delta State government is making plans with the airstrip operator Shell in upgrading and building a longer second runway of 3,700 metres (12,100 ft) due to the increase in air traffic.
