FG Insists On Concession Of Major Airports
Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister for Aviation[/caption]
The minister for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has insisted on the concession of Nigeria’s major airports located in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, stating that the federal government have no funds to invest in the airports.
Sirika who said the concession was the only choice the country has, to move the industry forward, explained that concessioning the airports was the panacea to the protracted infrastructural decay, which could constitute a threat to air safety.
According to him, the airports are in a bad shape and it would only take major investors to turn things around, stating again that the facilities were so poor and that government does not have funds to invest in them.
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“We no longer have money to put in public property but we will not sell or privatise; as social democrats, all we can do is to concession them so as to grow them. And that we will do. You see government has no plans whatsoever to sell national assets but it was sheer misconception to see the unions on the street demonstrating what they thought was sales of the airport.
“The airports will be concessioned, the big four and then later six of the cargo designated airports and this will help us not just grow and expand the sector but put us in the right path to again be established as a hub,” he said.
“The planned national carrier will be private sector driven and will go through all the processes an airline should go through before coming in, also, the MRO will be private sector driven, and the aircraft leasing company that will come in along with the MRO will serve the national carrier.
“Right now, one of the major challenges of airlines is maintenance and they seek hard currency in a bid to carry that out, plus they have top ferry these aircraft at a huge cost and same aircraft will have to queue for a slot on a maintenance schedule. If we had an MRO, it will go a long way to make things easier for the industry,” the minister said.
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Sirika further addressed the case of the ex-workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways. He said the president was aware and he is sourcing for funds to pay off their accumulated gratuities.
“They will soon smile by God’s grace, I have no doubt that this social democratic government will do something soon,” he added.
He however explained that the misconception that government was selling the airports or privatising them was wrong.
He noted that during the concessioning, government would earn from the airport until when the concession elapses and then it is returned.
