By Eshiorameh Sebastian in Abuja
The Federal Government has approved the concession of the Port Harcourt International Airport to private operators, with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, assuring aviation workers that the move will not lead to job losses.
Mr Keyamo disclosed this to State House correspondents on Thursday after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, where eight memos from his ministry were approved.
Addressing labour concerns head-on, the minister delivered a direct message to the unions. “This is a message to the unions: we will engage them. Nobody will lose their job. I’m making this very clear because there has been all kinds of misinformation to the union members,” he stated.
He affirmed his pro-worker stance but clarified the limits of union influence on government policy, saying, “I am pro-union, pro-workers, and I know the kind of pressure they have been putting on me, including people within the system instigating them against these concessions. They will not dictate policies of the government. I repeat, no worker will lose his job as a result of concessions.”
The minister highlighted a significant turnaround in investor interest for the Port Harcourt airport since the new administration took office.
“Before we came in, Port Harcourt was a no-go area. Almost all the investors shunned Port Harcourt. But since this government came to power, more than six people were scrambling and falling over themselves to get to Port Harcourt. We now have a business case approved,” he explained.
Among the other approved projects was a major security upgrade: a biometric verification system for all Nigerian airports. “Too many anonymous people board aircraft using fake identities. That is not good for national security. With this system, your NIN will be linked to boarding data. We will verify that you are truly the one flying. This meets ICAO standards,” the Minister said.
The council also approved the procurement of 15 new firefighting vehicles for the country’s five international airports in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu, a move Keyamo said was in tune with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.
Further approvals included the procurement and installation of tertiary power supply at all airports and 14 Very High Frequency remote stations for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to ensure uninterrupted support for air navigation.
In a significant policy directive, the minister announced that all properties owned by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria in and around airports have been officially excluded from sale to private individuals.
“This is a public announcement to those who purported to have bought airport properties: we will not give those properties to them,” he declared, citing security necessities for emergency personnel.
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