FAAN’s approval for our billboards unnecessary –Bi-Courtney

[Mirror]

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, BASL, operators of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Two, MMA2, Lagos, yesterday insisted it does not need the approval of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, before putting its adverts on its structures within the airport.

BASL said by virtue of its concession agreement with FAAN and the lease agreement on the hotel presently under construction, it has the right to place adverts within its complex without interference from the agency or any other government agencies in the country unless ruled otherwise by the court.

It will be recalled that FAAN said that it destroyed the billboards and others within the airport because some of the adverts were placed without the approval of the agency.

The General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, had insisted that FAAN as the landlord of the airport environment, has the right to get rid of any illegal structure placed within its premises and challenged Bi-Courtney to visit the court of arbitration if it was not satisfied with its step.

He, however, added that the removal of all "illegal adverts" within the airport was not only targeted at BASL, but to all advert agencies operating illegally at the airport, stressing that the exercise would continue nationwide and would soon move to other airports in the country.

"The placement of such advert materials infringed on the advertisement rights of FAAN, since the company or organisation responsible for the placing of the advert material did not receive FAAN's permission to do so."

But, a statement signed by BASL spokesman, Mr. Steve Ajulo-Omolale, yesterday said BASL had dragged FAAN and its managing director before Justice Stephen Jonah Adah of the Federal High Court in 2010, seeking the following reliefs: "A declaration that the defendants are not entitled to unilaterally remove, pull down, destroy, dismantle and/or interfere with the adverts placed on the plaintiff's overhead pedestrian bridge at its terminal in the MMA2, without first referring same to the dispute resolution mechanisms set up under Article 22 of the Concession Agreement dated 24th April, 2003."

National Mirror