FG unveils team to collect helicopter-landing charges in Rivers

Federal Government, through its consultant, Naebi Dynamic Concepts Limited, has inaugurated a team to drive its new initiative of collecting landing and takeoff charges from helicopters operating on all platforms across the country.

The implementation committee for Rivers State was inaugurated at the International Wing of the Port Harcourt Airport, yesterday, by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Naebi Dynamic, Chike Stanley.

Stanley took the step to advance the mandate given to the firm by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, when he inaugurated a consortium in Port Harcourt to collect landing and take-off charges from helicopters operating within the country’s airspace.

Sirika had said the initiative would help to increase revenue generation in the sector and create employment opportunities across the country.

The team inaugurated by Stanley comprised police, Department of State Security (DSS), representatives of the Rivers Government, and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), among others.

Stanley said the implementation team would help the firm to have easy access to all the platforms, oil rigs, airstrips, aerodromes, helipads, and heliports located in Rivers to enable it to actualise its mandate.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Sirika, saying the initiative would help to generate over 15,000 jobs in the nearest future and curb criminality and restiveness among youths.

Stanley, who described the move as an internationally accepted standard, said no right-thinking International Oil Company (IOC) would flout the law, as contained in the amended NAMA Act.

He said: “Our mandate is to collect helicopter landing charges for IOCs and LOCs on all the platforms, oil rigs, airstrips, aerodromes, and helipads, among others. The initiative is to generate jobs and increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

“It is also solving security problems. It has been tough but it has been wonderful. We are getting there. We have started. Already there is compliance at the airport and we hope to have more compliance. We thank the minister for always giving us all the support that we need.

“This will curb insecurity. This opportunity will help to engage them. We have called the stakeholders to educate them on what has happened. They have written to NNPC, and they have written to the Ministry of Petroleum. We are also taking people from these communities to train, employ and mentor.”