Nigeria Content Online

The Federal Airport
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Sunday allayed fears over possible shut
down of Port Harcourt International Airport due to issues of power
disruption.

This is coming
after last week’s report of threats by the Power Holding Company of
Nigeria (PHCN), Port Harcourt Distribution Zone, to disconnect the
airport’s power supply by Tuesday due to the management’s inability to
pay its electricity bill amounting to N7.4 million since June 2008 till
May 2010.

Richard
Aiseubeogun, managing director of the authority, said his management
has put in place measures to resolve the differences between the
authority and the power holding company, adding that this may involve
the reconciliation of accounts between the two organisations at the
regional level.

The authority’s
boss expressed concern over the huge amount, insisting that it is high
time that airlines, concessionaires and other users of the authority’s
facilities pay up the debts they owe FAAN.

“It is lamentable
that the authority pays an average of N60 million monthly on
electricity bill just for the Lagos airport alone. The authority also
consumes an average of N16 million monthly on diesel for the generators
at the Lagos airport and about N30 million monthly at the Abuja
airport,” he said in a statement.

“What it pays to
sustain constant power supply at the other 19 airports could better be
imagined. So, FAAN demands the money owed is now to maintain excellent
service delivery and meet its overhead costs.”

Reducing debt Akin
Olukunle, General Manager, public relations, for FAAN, said that as
part of measures to curb the growing debt profile, a new credit policy
and procedures manual was unveiled recently and is applicable to all
customers of the authority nationwide.

The authority,
however, assured that it is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of
Aviation to ensure that all ongoing projects designed to transform the
Port Harcourt International airport is completed before the end of the
year, especially the perimeter fence and the roads.

“Only recently, two fire trucks were sent to the airport, a
development which enhanced the capacity of fire cover at the airport,”
said Mr Olukunle.