The aviation ministry says the federal government is
considering concessioning the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, but
no concessionaire has been selected yet.
In a statement on Monday, Tunde Moshood, special adviser on
media and communications to Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace
development, said reports claiming a fixed concession period has been agreed
upon are false and misleading.
Moshood said the ministry is still evaluating proposals from
prospective concessionaires and has not determined any fixed duration for the
airport’s concession.
“Our attention has been drawn to certain online
report/stories suggesting that a certain lengthy period of concession has been
agreed upon regarding the Enugu International Airport. These reports/stories
are utterly baseless and untrue,” the statement reads.
“Whilst it is true that the Federal Government is
considering proposals for the concession of five major airports, this is a
proactive measure to ensure these vital facilities can meet and maintain
international standards, given the increasing financial demands of their
operations.
“Many of our airports are presently running at a loss, so
they have to be subsidised each month by the Federal Government. It is
noteworthy that this initiative to concession started from previous
administrations.
“At this stage, prospective concessionaires have indeed submitted various proposals, including different durations for the concession. It is important to emphasize that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has not established any fixed duration.
“All submitted proposals are currently undergoing thorough
evaluation that will eventually be reviewed by the ICRC before it is presented
to the Minister for conveyance to FEC for approval.
“We can confirm that this review process has not been
concluded.”
He said Keyamo had instructed several months ago that
aviation labour unions be included in the negotiation teams for the sake of
transparency.
‘MINISTRY COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENT PROCESS’
Moshood added that any information suggesting a
predetermined concession duration is “false, unfounded, and intended to cause
unwarranted disaffection and mistrust in the process”.
“Please be assured that the Ministry of Aviation and
Aerospace Development is committed to a transparent process that adheres
strictly to due process,” he said.
“With his training and track record, the Minister will not
allow anything untoward to happen under his watch. He has so far run the
Ministry in a transparent manner and will not fall into the same mistake of the
past.”
He assured that all decisions will be made in the best
interest of the nation and the aviation sector.
On April 19, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria
(FAAN) announced the temporary closure of the Enugu airport.
The authority said the shutdown, which takes effect from
April 22 to May 6, became necessary following the discovery of a sudden and
significant rupture in the asphalt surface at a critical section of the runway.
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