‘Airport Concession Threatens Chinese Loan Repayment,’ Say Protesting FAAN Workers

Protests have greeted the federal government’s planned concession of some major airports in the country.

The protesting workers of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) picketed the domestic terminal of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Monday to register their rejection of the move.

The aviation workers under the aegis of Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employee (NUATE), and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) also rejected plans by the government to return them to the PenCom contributory pension scheme.

The General Manager, FAAN Public Affairs, Henrietta Yakubu, declined to speak on the matter when THE WHISTLER reached out to her for comments.

The planned concession may see the ceding of terminal buildings and toll gates, among others, to private operators.

But the aviation workers believe that many of them would be forcefully retrenched should the concession go through.

They were seen with different placards bearing the following inscriptions: “Airport Concession Crime Against Nigeria,” “Airport Concession Lacks Transparency,” “Open Government is Our Right,” “No to Concession,” and “Chinese Loan Repayment Threatened by Concession”.