Experts back airports concession, seek transparency

Aviation pressure group, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ART) has backed the decision by the Federal Government to four of the airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Kano under the concession programme of the government.

Spokesman for ART, Olumide Ohunayo in a statement said the group welcomes the recent decision of the Federal Government to concession some of the airports.

According to Ohunayo, “We do not need to remind industry stakeholders of the  challenges  facing our airports in management and funding which could  be best ameliorated by a well packaged concession programme”.

He noted that desirable as the steps are, he reiterated that the group is cautiously optimistic that the  process  will be transparently done, due process and the rule of law would be observed by the government in addressing the interests of all stakeholders in the industry to ensure industrial peace and harmony.

He noted that the series of unresolved litigations and acrimony from concessions made in recent past have compromised  the atmosphere of trust and confidence desirable in the industry.

” ART therefore urges all involved in the concession process to exercise due diligence in order to reach a conclusion in the best interest of the nation”, he added.