Minister of State,Aviation,Senator, Hadi Sirika
…As Ministry Gets Approval To Restructure Agencies
…Inconclusive Proper Placement To Resume In Agencies Soon, In Phases In Other Parastatals
…Asks Stakeholders To Hold Him Responsible If Planned Concession Fails
…Commences Review Of Acts Establishing Agencies
As part of efforts to ensure that Nigerian airport security officials meet the international standards and operate in line with global best practices, the Federal Government has granted the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN)Aviation Security(AVSEC the powers to bear arms just like their counter part in the United States.
This is just as the Federal Government said that inconclusive restructuring, which started with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) will be carried out in all the aviation agencies and in phases.
The announcement by the Federal Government further dashed the hope of workers of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), who were not properly placed or who came in through the back door and who had thought the exercise had ended with the recent sack, demotion of some directors, General Managers in FAAN.
Minister for State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, who disclosed this at the presentation of Aviation Roadmap to Industry Stakeholders at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos yesterday, stated that what is left is for AVSEC officials to be well trained and to determine the type of guns they should bear .
He stated that already the Ministry of Aviation had consulted the Ministry of Interior on the matter and that very soon the looks and programme of this arm of security would change.
According to him, “The Ministry of Interior will determine the type of arms AVSEC officials will bear and also ensure that they are well trained to carry out their jobs at airports across the country.”
On the planned concession of the four major airports, Sirika reiterated that there was no going back , adding that concession became necessary because the Federal Government does not have the huge amount needed to turn around these airports to ensure that they compete favourable with other airports across the globe.
He added that if Nigeria truly desires to increase its passenger volume from the current 15 million, the decaying infrastructure at airports in Nigeria must be improved on in line with current trend.
To buttress his point, Sirika stated that if Qatar , a country with a population of about 2.4 million and with her enormous oil wealth can concession her airports, he wondered why Nigeria with dwindling oil revenue and a very large population cannot do the same .
The Minister told the gathering comprising of airlines, unions, aviation agencies, ground handlers and journalists that to fix these decaying infrastructure at airports, Nigeria must concession her airports to concessionaires and that he should be held responsible if the planned concession fails.
In his words, “Hold Me responsible if the planned concession of airports fail.”
The minister further posited that the size of Nigeria in terms population and market in aviation is too important to be ignored, adding that one of the challenges the country has is that it does not market and sell its potential.
He pointed out that while Kenya for example market the Maasai people and wild life, Nigeria on the other hand is not marketing its population and other potential to the outside world.
On the inconclusive restructuring that had consumed some FAAN directors, general managers and which is giving some agency workers sleepless nights, the minister stated that the Ministry of Aviation had secured approval from the Federal Government to carry out restructuring in all the aviation agencies.
He disclosed that there are 88 General Managers(GMs) in all the aviation agencies put together, adding the restructuring in FAAN was not complete and that the exercise would be carried out in phases.
Meanwhile, Sirika also disclosed that to put aviation agencies on the part of growth, the Civil Aviation Act including the Acts establishing other agencies have been reviewed awaiting the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval.
The review, abelnewsng.com learnt may be as a result of the over bloated workforce, overlapping functions of some departments in the agencies and the 88 general managers, whose salaries are eating deep into the agencies revenue.
On the fate of the workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL), who are still waiting for their benefits to be paid years after the questionable liquidation, Sirika said, “Government is committed to paying Nigeria Airways workers. I will do everything possible to ensure that they are paid.”
On whether the present administration will continue with the projects that started by previous government led by the PDP, he said, “As a general policy, the All Progressive Congress (APC) led government is continuing with all projects that makes some sense.”
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