Lufthansa yet to pay N2.198bn to NCAA

By Kenneth Ehigiator
LAGOS — Almost two weeks after the Senate ordered Lufthansa Airlines to pay the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, N2.198 billion, being money representing unpaid royalties between 2009 and November 2011, the airline is yet to do so, saying it had paid all charges to date.

Royalty is money paid by foreign airlines to the Federal Government for the country’s inability to reciprocate flight operations to their countries, in line with the Bilateral Air Services Agreements, BASAs, Nigeria has with their governments, and such agreements thrive on the principle of reciprocity.

Lufthansa Airlines operates daily service to Frankfurt from Lagos, with no Nigerian carrier doing same to Germany.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, had on May 9, 2012, directed the airline to pay the money to the NCAA, being the custodian of all royalties, of face sanctions.

But the airline in a reaction to questions put to its media consultant, Mr. Hakeem Jimoh, in Lagos, said Lufthansa was up to date in payment of all charges expected of it by government.

The questions went thus:  Has Lufthansa Airlines paid the royalty the Senate ordered it to pay into NCAA’s account?  And if it has not, when would the money be paid?

Responding in a statement issued last night, Lufthansa, aside from saying it had paid all charges to the Federal Government, added that it had never violated any Nigerian law put in place to safeguard the interest of Nigerians and would not do so.

It said its co-operation with the Ministry of Aviation was work in progress, with special focus on capacity and human resources development.

Director-General of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, could not be reached on phone to ascertain what steps it was taking to recoup the money.

But his Media Assistant, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, said he was not aware of any payment by Lufthansa.