… Says MMA2 Still Best Terminal Despite Remodelling Others
The former Assistance General Secretary of Airline Operators (AON), Alhaji Muhammed Tukur, has said that he is in support of plans by the Federal Government to privatise the four major airports in the country for effective and efficient management.
This is just as he opined that government has no business in management airports businesses.
Recalled that the Minister of Transport, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, had stated that as a result of limited resources for capital projects development, government was exploring the possibility of private sector participation to towards the realisation of the industries’ potential.
The airports to be privatised includes ,the Murtala Muhammed Airport(MMA),Lagos, Nnamdi Azikwe Airport(NAA),Abuja, Port Harcourt Airport(PHA)and Mallam Aminu Airport(MMA),Lagos.
Tukur spoke in an interview at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2(MMA2) in Lagos, while responding to a question of the planned privatisation of the four major airports.
Speaking further Tukur alleged that in the past some people he did not name have accused him of supporting the privatisation of airports terminals and that when these facilities are privatised ‘their people’ would not have money to invest in them.
He explained that he told them that his support was borne out of the fact that it is only the private sector that can manage airport terminals efficiently and also provide the needed infrastructure.
“I will tell you, sometimes ago somebody confronted me saying, Alhaji why are you supporting privatisation? If they privatise airports and at the end of the day our people does not have money to take any of the airports. So, the country will wait until you have money before we move forward. Do you understand what I am saying? That is why I support privatisation.
He continued, “Those who are having such interest at the end of the day what do we have? If we talk people will say we are accusing them .How many billion or trillion have they collected from our account down to what they have collected in terms of renovation, rebuilding, remodelling or whatever name they give it .What do we have today nothing. How long can we continue like that? Like now, the government can come and say let them provide the money and we will provide a standard terminal. Everybody knows clearly whether you like it or not that Bi Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) terminal; MMA2 is the best terminal in the country. You cannot compare MMA2 with others.”
He added that what the Federal Government should do is to provide enabling climate for the businesses of both local and foreign investors to thrive.
The former AON scribe lamented that despite the remodelling of Nigeria airport terminals, the terminals still remain the same, stressing that at the moment none of the remodeled terminals can compete with MMA2.
The former AON Assistant General Secretary called on the Federal Government to call on foreign investors tell them what it wants and also assure them that conducive atmosphere would be provided for them to operate and there would not be policy somersault.
He urged the Federal Government to allow foreign investors to invest in the aviation sector, as their investments would further help in improving the decaying infrastructure at airport terminals across the country.
On the benefits of privatisation, Tukur stated that when airport terminals are privatised, Nigerians would get the best service, as there would be competitions.
On the establishment of national carrier and whether government should invest its resource in it, he argued that government should not invest in it, as according to him he does not subscribe to the idea.
