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NCAA, TopBrass tango over two leased airplanes
- Iyayi raises alarm over Ministry’s culpability
There are indications that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) with top officials of the Ministry of Transportation has concluded plans to ‘forcefully’ return two aircraft on lease by Top Brass Aviation Limited.
Aside that, the top officials are said to be interested in the acquisition of the two airplanes, Bombardier Dash 8 Q315 with registration number 5N-TBB MSN 613 and 5N-TBC MSN 614.
The aircraft under dispute had been positioned at the Aero Contractors hangar at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos with plans to ferry them to the owners despite court injunctions restraining the lessor, NCAA and the Ministry of Transportation pending when all contractual issues are settled.
People in the know told Woleshadare.net that some powerful persons in government are already showing interest to acquire the aircraft, with underhand move to scheme TopBrass out by feigning sincerity in their plans to return the airplanes under the ‘guise’ of the Cape Town Convention which Nigeria is a signatory.
The Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment, or Cape Town Treaty is an international treaty intended to standardise transactions involving movable property.
Three protocols to the convention are specific to three types of movable equipment: Aircraft Equipment (aircraft and aircraft engines; signed in 2001), railway rolling stock (signed in 2007) and space assets (signed in 2012). The treaty resulted from a diplomatic conference held in Cape Town, South Africa in 2001.
The Managing Director of TopBrass Aviation, Roland Iyayi was seen fuming over the clandestine move by NCAA and the Ministry for what he considers as violation of his right, saying he had contractual matters to settle with the lessor with several thousands of dollars owed him which he claimed the aviation regulatory body failed to see.
Iyayi, at the stakeholders’ interactive forum held by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja Lagos said he has all the documents and agreement he entered into, describing their action as a breach of contract.
Iyayi, who holds a press conference tomorrow on the matter, said he was ready to tender all documents to the media to understand that rather than call for the return of the Bombardier airplanes, the NCAA and lessor should actually apologise for the agony he was subjected to.
