Kenneth Ehigiator
27 December 2008
Convoys of state governors and federal government registered vehicles would, with effect from 2009, be denied passage through the access gate linking the domestic wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos to the international wing in the aftermath of its automation unless they pay the necessary tolls.Not even workers at the airports, including staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other parastatals would be spared, as the concessionaire has ruled out free sticker for any one.
Managing Director of Integrated Intelligent Imaging West Africa Limited, Mr. Moyosola Niran-Oladunni, who disclosed these at a forum in Lagos to sensitise stakeholders, said only official military, para-military and police painted vehicles would be exempted from payment.
He insisted that the personnel of the military and para-military personnel in their private vehicles were not exempted from payment.
According to him, "governors who must use the access gate will have to buy their stickers ahead or pay up at the toll gate, and spikes will be installed to deny any vehicle forced passage."
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) concessioned the plaza to Integrated Intelligent Imaging West Africa Limited, which took over control November 21, 2008 .
Anger pervaded the room when the Managing Director of the Concessionaire, Mr. Moyosola Niran-Oladunni, said the agreement the company had with FAAN to raise N40 million monthly precluded issuance of free tickets to workers in the industry, except a few top management staff of FAAN Niran-Oladunni said his company was investing about N1 billion to automate the toll gate as well as expand the road linking the local and international airport to five lanes from the current two of the dual carriageway, adding that his company would mobilie to site before the end of January 2009.
"The stickers we are introducing have security features which will track any stolen car wherever it is taken in the country. We are also introducing contactless cards which we will sell like recharge cards for motorists that ply the route.
"The agreement we have with FAAN does have make provision for free stickers for anybody. We have given FAAN a revolving bank guarantee of N40 million monthly for five years, whether we make money or not. This is why we have invited your stakeholders to solicit your co-operation," said Niran-Oladunni, who noted that towards the end of the bidding process, FAAN and its agents claimed to be collecting N38 million monthly.
He had hardly completed his presentation when temper flared from stakeholders representing independent oil marketers, tanker drivers association, aviation journalists and others who protested the involvement of workers in the airport in the payment plan.
Representative of the tanker drivers said they would not hesitate to withdraw their services should they be involved the payment plan.
Consequently, the tense atmosphere engendered by the reactions from the floor necessitated the concessionaire to promise to take their inputs back to FAAN management for a possible review of the agreement.
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