FAAN workers threaten strike, reject Abuja airport, others’ concession

Workers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,
Abuja , on Monday staged a protest against plans by the
concession plan of the Federal Government for
Nigeria ’ s four major international airports .
Employees under various unions in the aviation sector
vowed to resist the moves by the Minister of Aviation ,
Hadi Sirika , to give out the Lagos, Abuja , Port Harcourt
and Kano international airports on concession . They argued that the identified airports were the most
profitable in Nigeria and the concession of the facilities
would lead to job losses and vowed to down tool if the
concession process continued.
Sirika had commenced the concession process for the
NAIA ; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport,
Kano ; Murtala Muhammad International Airport,
Lagos ; and the Port Harcourt International Airport in
Rivers State .
He had stated that the concession was part of the
reforms in the aviation sector and had argued that it
would create more jobs .
But the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and
Engineers , the Association of Nigeria Aviation
Professionals , the National Union of Air Transport
Employees , and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff
Association of Nigeria jointly rejected the move.
According to them , the concession exercise was in bad
faith , as they threatened to shut the entire sector if the
minister continued with the concession plan .
In his address at the protest in Abuja , the Chairman ,
NUATE , Ahmed Yusuf , said , “ We are protesting
because during the lockdown, the minister of aviation
surprisingly received the Outline Business Case
certificate for the concession of the four most viable
airports out of the 22 airports in Nigeria .
“ This came as a surprise and an insincere act . It lacked
transparency and the staff were not carried along. We
totally reject the concession because it is not
transparent . ”
Yusuf added that the concession of the four viable
airports would mean the death of the remaining 18
airports which depend on them (the four) .
He said ,
“ It is a
disaster
waiting
to
happen
and
definitely jobs will be lost. The Lagos airport alone can
sustain the 22 airports so why the concession ?”
The NUATE chairman said the unions had suggested
greenfield concession , where the concessionaire would
acquire a virgin land , build , operate and transfer the
airports .
He said this would create more jobs during and after
construction and would drive competition .