Nigeria Content Online

Following alleged
high rent by the management of the operators of the Murtala Mohammed
Airport 2 (MMA2), Lagos, banks using the facility are beginning to
vacate the terminal.

With the likes of
Access Bank already out of the new domestic terminal since April this
year, Oceanic Bank followed suit on Monday as it pasted notices on its
doors and ATM machines located at its stand at the airport.

A source at the
bank who prefers anonymity, said that the amount collected as rent by
Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) is “so expensive and very
high” for the bank, adding that the same situation might have prompted
the decision taken by Access Bank to quit the terminal.

The notice on the
bank’s stand at MMA2, however, directed customers on how to locate its
new place of operation, adding that transactions will not be carried
out on Monday and Tuesday, but will commence on Wednesday.

“Please be informed
that we will be re-locating from Murtala Mohammed Airport II (MMA2) to
OBI Village (BDC Complex) opposite Arik Airlines Office effective
Wednesday 1st September 2010,” the notice reads, adding “In view of
this development, our last working day in MMA II will be on Friday 27th
August, 2010. We will not be open to customers on Monday 30th and
Tuesday 31st August 2010.

The branch will resume full banking operations at our new location on Wednesday 1st of September 2010.”

Meanwhile,
passengers and airport users were seen in large clusters using the ATM
machines of Guarantee Trust and Skye Banks, the two remaining banks at
the terminal, as they expressed displeasure with the development.

“Since these are
the only machines at our disposal, we have to queue up and make
withdrawals as we hope they don’t leave like others,” said Anyaogu
Sunday, a passenger at the terminal.

Aero may also leave

Still on the same
issue, another source with Aero Contractors, the oldest commercial
carrier in the country involved in domestic and regional air transport
business and a sister company to Oceanic Bank, said that the airline
has plans to leave the new terminal for the old domestic terminal
christened the General Aviation Terminal (GAT).

According to this
source, the cost of operating from the new terminal is “far higher than
that of GAT,” stressing that though the airline has not made up its
mind on when to move out, it will vacate the airport if nothing is done
as pertaining the charges collected by the operators of the terminal.

“There are plans
by Aero to leave MMA2 and start operating from GAT because of the high
operational cost it incurs carrying out flight services from the new
terminal,” the source said.

It should be noted
that Arik Air, the country’s largest commercial carrier is carrying out
its domestic flight operations from the General Aviation Terminal, and
on different occasions, managers of the new terminal have challenged
why Arik is still operating from the old terminal.

Bi-Courtney counters

The managers of the
new terminal, however, refuted any form of high or increased rent.
According to Bi-Courtney, tenants have been called upon to renew their
rents.

“We would like to state categorically that we have not effected nor
made any demand for increase in rent from any of our tenants,” said
Femi Kolawole, chief corporate services officer for Bi-Courtney in a
statement. “On the contrary, tenants whose leases are expiring have
been invited to renew their leases, at the same prices as their
expiring leases or at reduced rates.”