Fresh crisis brews over airport concession

Fresh crisis is brewing in the aviation sector over concession of airports as aviation unions raised the alarm over a draft agreement being paraded for the concession of some airports in the country without their inputs. The unions, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the […]

Fresh crisis is brewing in the aviation sector over concession of airports as aviation unions raised the alarm over a draft agreement being paraded for the concession of some airports in the country without their inputs.

The unions, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) raised the concerns at the Congress held yesterday at FAAN Freedom Square.

Daily Trust reports that the issue of airport concession has been on the front burner since the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

At the twilight of the administration, the Ministry of Aviation under Senator Hadi Sirika had announced the concession of some airports including Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Mallam Aminu Kano Airport, Kano.

But the current minister, Festus Keyamo on assumption of office announced the suspension of the concession and other programmes of the immediate past administration.

However, the aviation unions that opposed Sirika’s concession plan are raising alarm over the concession of some airports without the unions being carried along.

Addressing the workers, the President of NUATE, Comrade Ben Nnabue, alleged that the government is going ahead to concession the airports through the backdoor without carrying the workers along.

He disclosed that in the document being paraded, there is a Full Business Case of 50 years and 80 years in the agreement.

Nnabue queried if the concessionaires were buying the land or concessioning, which makes the whole plan suspect.

He stated that management concession was for only five years, saying he has never seen any agreement of 80 years

He noted that the minister had earlier promised them that he was not going into any concession programme but expressed dismay that that the government is concessioning the airports in a “clandestine” manner.

The NUATE president stated that the minister had earlier told them that labour issues will be discussed with the unions, saying the documents being circulated had written legal issues.

“They didn’t discuss with us and they are writing issues affecting our members,” he said.

“Posterity will not forgive them if they go to represent FAAN and sell FAAN out without calling stakeholders. There is no information that is hidden forever,” he added.

The president of ANAP, Comrade Adedayo Alale said the minister told all the union leaders that all labour issues would be resolved before concession.

Alale said the process of concessioning of Enugu airport was almost concluded while that of Port Harcourt and Kano had also been planned .

There was no immediate comment from the ministry as of press time. A spokesperson for the minister promised to get back to our correspondent.

However, Keyamo had hinted last year that the government plans to concession some airports and assured that no jobs would be lost as a result of the concession.

He said, “The workers’ jobs are safe and that is the first condition we will give that whoever wants to do concessions is for them to carry our liabilities along, which are the workers. Make sure their jobs are safe. So, we can start talking. If their jobs are not safe, we can’t start talking.”