Stakeholders in the aviation industry are worried over safety, fraudulent tendencies and mismanagement of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu following last week’s hand over of the airport to the Enugu state government in the name of concession.
Stakeholders who spoke exclusively with our Aviation Editor, warned that the unions will revisit the issue should the state fail to manage it effectively in the next five years.
According to Comrade, Olayinka Abioye, Secretary General of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, “we will not close our eyes to any shoddy arrangement that is being perpetuated in any corner, and allow it to pass. If any of these things run for 2, 3, 4, 5 years and there are issues, we will revisit the matter no matter which government is in power”
Abioye warned that there were a lot of dangers in just giving out airports to what he called anyhow people saying that people who never managed their own homes properly, who never managed any business successfully were given a whole airport to manage.
“Given the gargantuan issues connected with running an airport, to give it to them to run. Let us wait and see. If they are not going to bite their own fingers, we are waiting. This country is ours”
Abioye however said that they will support concessions that are reasonable and done transparently, with probity and accountability where the national interest, safety and security are paramount.
“For me, as an outsider, as a bystander, I am watching to see what will happen. But I know that a lot of states have been writing to the ministry to allow for the concession of airports within their domain”.
He assured of his support where issues connected with the well-being of workers are prioritized. “We are not against concession. Concession is a very viable tool, vehicle to bring about profitability and successful transformation of enterprises. If these things are done very well, we won’t complain”
Abioye added that when there are fraudulent tendencies, fraudulent tendencies in several of these things that are being done, the only thing they will do is to shout so that outsiders can help listen and get involved in the entire process.
“We want the best for the Nigerian aviation system because that is where we eat. That is our farm”
On the proposed concessioning of the Port Harcourt international airport, Comrade Abioye said, that of Port Harcourt was a terrible one adding that he stumbled on a document with some government officials where advised government on steps to take, what to write in the MOU that were being exchanged between these parties
For Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu, Secretary General of Association of Nigeria Aviation Professional, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport concession will be a failure as according to him, it was politically motivated
“Tell me, which government is running Enugu now? Which government? Is it APC or APGA or who? Which government? That is to tell you that they are using political jingoism. But the agreement I saw here is saying that they are not going to touch the workers for the next three years, they will be paying their salary. Let us wait and see”
According to Comrade Saidu, o run an airport by a state government is impossible citing examples with some state airports built through political decision, all were handed over back to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. “What type of concession are they doing in Enugu. And what type of concession are they going to do in Port Harcourt? All is fallacy, is political jingoism. I don’t believe in it
Mr Olumide Ohunayo, Secretary of Aviation Round Table, concession remained the way to go in airport Management.
According to Ohunayo, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria does not have what it takes to run all the airports in the country.
Ohunayo, noted that with the Enugu State government coming in with their consultant, it is expected that the state will better equip the airport with facilities needed for uplift.
But for the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Festus Keyamo, the growing investor confidence drives renewed interest in Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure.
Keyamo, said unlike previous concession attempts when investors focused mainly on Lagos, Abuja and Kano while ignoring Enugu and Port Harcourt.
The situation he said has changed because of reforms introduced by the administration of Bola Tinubu and the development vision of Peter Mbah.
He said Enugu’s transformation into an emerging aviation hub has encouraged investors to compete for other airports, with three additional facilities already attracting strong bids.
The airport was handed over to Aero Alliance Limited under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement, the minister said the concession policy, pursued by successive governments for nearly two decades, is aimed at attracting private investment to modernise airports, improve efficiency and reduce the financial burden on government.
Keyamo said the Federal Government had resolved labour concerns before the concession, assuring workers that their jobs remain protected.
The minister expressed confidence that Aero Alliance would justify the confidence reposed in it by delivering world-class infrastructure, efficient operations and improved passenger services, adding that healthy competition among airports would strengthen Nigeria’s aviation industry.
