Controversy brews in NCAA over $100m missing BASA fund

Uneasy calm gripped officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), at the weekend, over the resurrection of an alleged diversion of about $100 million Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) fund with the Authority.

It is the usual practice for BASA to budget for the growth of member-countries with seed funds, which are in the custodies of the regulatory authorities for use by mutual agreement on a defined programme.

The money, which NCAA said it deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was alleged to have been diverted to other projects against BASA rule.

It was learnt that NCAA had been depositing the said fund accruing until 2014, when Nigeria reviewed foreign airline direct payments.

And that the said deductions had accumulated some interests.

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It may be recalled that the allegation was made recently when some industry players allegedly complained to EFCC that the whereabouts of the funds were not known, a situation that put most management staff of NCAA on edge.

“But it is yet to be confirmed the exact period that the money was withdrawn and for what purpose”, said an official.

Foreign airlines now pay the charges directly to NCAA as part of their commercial agreement with Nigeria and are in the dark as to how and when the accumulated fund was spent.

But a senior staff of NCAA said the funds were utilised for airport remodeling, which is yet to be completed, adding that BASA was in the know of this.

But ministry officials said there was no cause for alarm as the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, had travelled to Singapore to have meeting with BASA, during which any issue raised might be tackled.

Whether EFCC will stay action until the minister returns is another issue.

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