Bi-Courtney Protests FAAN’s Removal Of Bill Boards

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), last Thursday protested the removal of its advert flexes placed on the walls of the hotel project it is building opposite its terminal at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Terminal 2 (MMA2) by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The company officials expressed outrage at the action of FAAN and said there had been “on-going war” between the agency and Bi-Courtney.

FAAN said the flexes were part of   the illegal advert placements it had removed from various parts of the airport, alleging that it had the sole rights to place adverts anywhere at the airports and that any third party that wishes to do so must obtain permission from it, describing the action of Bi-Courtney as illegal.

Legal Adviser to Bi-Courtney, Tola Oshobi, disputed FAAN’s assertion, saying his client had the legal right as contained in its concession agreement with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the lease of the land in which the hotel is being built to place adverts anywhere within the property.

Mr Oshobi chided FAAN for repudiating agreements, noting that as government agency, it was a bad signal that it does not obey court judgments which directed the agency to hands off the hotel project which FAAN intends to repossess as it argued that lease period given to Bi-Courtney had since elapsed.

“The court ruling is still subsisting so FAAN has no right to remove the advert placements, must FAAN continue to disregard court ruling? There is an urgent need to call the authority to order. The issue on the building is still in court and FAAN cannot take any action until after the ruling, Oshobi stated.

He went further to say that by defying the court orders it means that a government agency may choose to disobey the law of the land. FAAN is doing greater damage to Nigeria as investment destination.”

Spokesman of FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati, justified the action alleging that FAAN had removed all illegal advertisement materials on billboards and structures along the internal road of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

He said the placement of such advert materials infringes on advertisement right of FAAN, since the company or organization responsible for the placing of the advert materials did not receive FAAN’s permission to do so.

Dati also said every advert placement within the airport premises, including he internal and access roads, must be done with the authorization of FAAN, which has the right over all airport land as contained in the act establishing  the organization.