FAAN takes over Hometel Car Park from debtor concessionaire

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) has taken over Hometel Car Park close to the international wing of the Lagos Airport following what would seem like an unwillingness of the current concessionaires to remit funds collected on the authority’s behalf.

This development came to light when the unions, last Thursday, took over the management of the car park from its concessionaire over allegations of non-remittance to FAAN for over two years.

The unions also accused the management of the car park of lack of proper concessioning agreement with FAAN, saying that it signed and violated part of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the FAAN management, by unilaterally raising the car park fee from N200 to N500 per car without informing FAAN.

Nigerianflightdeck.com learnt that the Managing Director of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma on Monday backed the industry unions in its takeover of the Hometel Car Park due to the level of indebtedness and has ordered authority’s Legal Department to take a look at the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, it signed with the owners of the company.

The meeting to discuss the takeover of the car park was held at the headquarters of FAAN in Lagos.

On the side of the management were the Ag. Director of Commercial, Mr. Toyin Okpaise, General Manager, Rentals, FAAN, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Onyekpere Nnaekpe and other directors in the agency.

The unions were led by the President of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Benjamin Okewu, Secretary-General of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) Comrade Olayinka Abioye, Chairman and Vice-Chairman of NUATE, FAAN Branch among many others.

At the meeting, which ran till evening on Monday, the unions specifically said that it would not allow the concessionaire to continue to render the service on behalf of the agency, describing it as a “chronic debtor.”

Confirming the development, the Ag. General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye in an interview with said that the matter was successfully resolved by the unions.

Abioye revealed that the agency had ordered its legal department to look at the naughty areas in the MoU between the two parties, stressing that since its takeover, the staff had been generating enough revenues that would make the payment of salaries easier at the end of the month.

He said, “We have resolved the matter and FAAN staff have taken over the control of the car park from Hometel. At the meeting, the Managing Director of FAAN, ordered the legal department to critically look at the MoU with the owners of the company.

“The management supported the takeover of the car park. If you have a concessionaire that is not generating revenue as supposed to you, what will you do with such a company? It was a very reassuring meeting. We will generate enough revenues that will be enough for us to pay salaries at the end of the month.”