Aviation unions threaten to go on strike over planned concession of airport terminals.

Chinazor Megbolu   |   

A coalition of aviation unions, compromising of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professional (ANAP) may go on strike soon over the $500 million worth of Chinese loan deal to build four terminals.

The coalition  had accused the Minister of Aviation, Mallam Hadi Sirika of contravening the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Establishment Act 2004.

They went further to state that the Civil Aviation Act 2005, which serves alleged personal purpose in the concession plan was also contravened as well as the add-on plan to concession the airports. 

The unions were not happy with the way the handling of the airport concession arrangement was done, adding the plot was contradictory in terms and not in the best interest of the nation. 

The coalition hinted they had started sensitising members for a nationwide protest against the whole concession plan of the Federal Government.

The government had sometime in 2017, made moves to concession all the 22 airports throughout the country, with the big four in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.

The statement further posited the four airports are beneficiaries of a 2013 loan deal between Nigeria and China to build four new terminals each for the airports.

 

 The coalition explained the Abuja and Port Harcourt at present, uses the new terminals, while that of Lagos and Kano were yet to be completed.   

The General Secretary of NUATE, Mr. Ocheme Aba, in the statement stressed that there is no clarity on the question of the semi-concession that already exists through the Chinese loan facility.

According to him;
“equally important is the loud silence over the issue of primacy of national security, especially at this time and the foreseeable future. 

 

“They failed to situate issues within the national security architecture, the potential fact of the four foremost international gateways being held in private hands. 

“We hasten, though, to let it be known that we are unambiguously strewn to the national cause and the genuine interest of the workers of FAAN. 

 

“We are completely extricated from any narrow or selfish motives. 

“Therefore, we shall remain unwavering in our stated commitment to deny this clandestine PPP the benefit of daylight.” 

The Deputy General Secretary, Mr. Francis Akinjole, regretted that FAAN had nothing to do with any project identification, prioritisation, or concept note to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), as required by the ICRC’s protocols.   

 

 “The only role FAAN has played so far is that of a representative member on the Project Delivery Team (PDT), and the Steering Committee as appointed by the Minister. 

 

“Therefore, the ICRC and the Ministry, by carrying on with the airports’ concession project outside the purview of FAAN, Akinjole said.

He also added that such move is an indication of an unwholesome agenda, hinting that such action is, in fact, unlawful as it contravenes Part II, 3(g) of the FAAN Establishment Act, 2004 as well as the Civil Aviation Act, 2005.

“According to the National PPP processes of the ICRC, the Transaction Advisor (TA) is to be appointed through a competitive bidding process. 

 

“We all know that the only way to assure a truly competitive bidding process is through open bidding. But in the case of these airports’ concession projects, there was no such bidding exercise known to the public.

“As a matter of fact, we are aware that the PDT was at a meeting discussing the issue of TA when they learnt that the FEC had just then announced the approval of the appointment of a TA. While we agree that the PDT is not an approving authority, we must nevertheless state that the PDT is a vital organ of the PPP process with definite functions and mandates.

“Its functions form the foundation upon which the success of the entire PPP project rests.

“Therefore, by circumventing the functions of the PDT as the ICRC and the Ministry have done, particularly by the clandestine appointment of Transitional Advisor (TA), there is a clear case of violation of the process as well as a travesty against the Nigerian people,” he said.

He stated that the coalition had resolved to stand firm against any move to share “our common patrimony in the guise of a phony concession exercise”.