Senate Committee on Aviation has ordered Lufthansa Airlines to pay
to the Federal Government N2.198 billion being debt owed from
non-payment of royalty or face sanctions.
The committee also summoned former Minister of Aviation, Mr.
Babatunde Omotoba, to appear before it tomorrow over the violation of
aviation laws by Lufthansa.
- From left: Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma during a public hearing on the violation of aviation laws and practice by foreign airlines in Nigeria, organised by Senate Committee on Aviation at National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Hope Uzodinma, gave the directives
yesterday upon discoveries that Lufthansa Airlines had violated its
Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA, with the Federal Ministry of
Aviation in 2008.
Uzodinma, lamenting that Lufthansa took advantage of the Nigerian
market to violate the agreement, ordered the Nigeria Civil Aviation
Authority, NCAA, to ground the airline if it failed to pay the debt.
He said: “I direct you now to write Lufthansa to pay all our monies
to NCAA because there is nothing binding either in the MoU or commercial
agreement that would stop Lufthansa from paying. Listen let me tell
you, people are quick at comparing us with all these mushroom countries.
“We have this huge market here that must be protected so when they go
and have something convenient for them in Ghana and Togo that is not up
to two local governments in Nigeria, you now use it as a model to
implement policies in Nigeria and we lose money. This makes us look
stupid before the international community.
“I think, as a matter of fact, you must join hands and protect the
market which is our own treasure. So in my opinion, you should liaise
with the NCAA and recover this money from Lufthansa. If it means
grounding all the aircraft to ensure that our laws are obeyed, we will
do it. We must develop the will as a people.
“As at 2009 to November 2011, we have an outstanding $14,833,000,000
and the invoices are here issued by NCAA. I want you to support NCAA,
retrieve your letter so that they can receive their money because this
is an entitlement of government.
“I think that as we call for the review of your MoU and the BASA, we
ask Lufthansa to pay all monies due to government. It is unfortunate
Lufthansa people are not here, they are quick at sending lawyers.”
Earlier, General Manager, Air Transport of NCAA, Mr. Peter Alawani,
in his presentation to the committee, acknowledged that there were
commercial agreements between Lufthansa and Nigeria Airways, which gave
Lufthansa the rights to operate four frequencies between Nigeria and
Germany.
Chanzo: tovuti ya Vanguard
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