Airports’ concession revival may hit the rocks
- Union urges FG to halt move
The renewed concession of four of Nigeria’s major airports by the Federal Government may lead to a fresh crisis, as the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) said it would challenge the policy and had mapped out strategy to do so.
ATSSSAN FAAN branch Chairman, Ahmed Danjuma, told our correspondent that the policy was not the best answer.
Specifically, he said unions in the industry were in unison to say “no” to concession of the four major airports in the country (the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, Port-Harcourt International Airport and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano).
Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had, late last year, unveiled the transaction advisers for the four international airports to be concessioned by the Federal Government.
He said the five firms are experienced and have expertise “in airport management, Public Private Partnership Legal Advice, Finance, Project and Construction Management and Environmental and Social services. The unveiling of the transaction advisers clearly shows that government is forging ahead with the exercise.
Danjuma urged members of the union not to rest on their oars concerning their stand against the government policy, adding that though the noise about the policy seemed to have reduced, government was also re-strategizing after the initial knocks received on the policy to achieve their goal.
“For the fact that the noise of concession has suddenly reduced aside from the last two weeks that the vice president made a statement about the concession and another statement was made again about the concession, we should not relax that this government will not carry out that exercise,” he said. “The only way we can prove to them that we can do it is by sitting up and doing our job the best we way can, so that we will not give room for anybody to come and challenge us that we have not done well.”
Danjuma explained that the union had engaged many stakeholders on the matter, several researches have been made and position papers developed to defend their stand against the concession policy. “We have tried to develop our position paper as to why we say concession is not the best answer and we are not done with it yet, we are still collating and it is the responsibility of all of us not only the union leaders alone to drive that process,” he said. “We need inputs from us, we need your support, we need your advises so that we will have a very good and comprehensive document whenever they call us to talk, we will now rely on those documents you give us and present to them.
“I am challenging all of us here to please go out, seek information, ideas on how best we can challenge the issue of concession. We have our own roadmap, we have plan B, C and even plan D, but we will not roll them out until we are sure government is serious on this matter.”
He equally disclosed that the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission had approved the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) reviewed condition of service and sent to the Ministry for necessary action.
Danjuma stated that the journey, which started over five years ago, was a Herculean task for the union. “We had the breaking news that the document has now been approved,” he said. “It has not been easy like I said because we have been going back and forth, to and fro, submissions upon submissions, answers to queries and whatever you can think for us to arrive at a conclusion.”
He applauded the management of FAAN, especially its Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma, for their support and encouragement, as he stood by them during meetings with the chairman of the commission to make presentation as why the document needed to be approved.
“We thank the management of FAAN for their support particularly the MD, sincerely speaking, MD has tried as far as the CoS is concerned,” he said.
“That man has been with us anytime we went to Abuja, he will follow us in fact, he will lead to the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission. I could remember vividly two good times we trekked from his office to the Commission to see the chairman in order to appeal to them to understand why there is need for us to have these things. I can say that having that has propelled the zeal and the ambitions and feelings of our members to the extent that other agencies to say if
FAAN can get it, they will get their own tomorrow, we already lead and they will follow.”
