The senate has called on the federal government to review the concession of the Aminu Kano International Airport, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, and other international airports across the country.
The call was made at the plenary yesterday after passing a motion by a lawmaker from Kano South, Mr. Sumaila Kawu.
Recall that the federal executive council under former President Muhammadu Buhari, on May 17, approved the concession of the Abuja and Kano airports to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium.
The deputy senate president, Mr. Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, said concession is good, but noted that it should be done in a transparent manner but not shrouded in secrecy as was the case when the former minister of aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika held sway.
“Although these things must be investigated, I would still vote for concession, but it must be done in a transparent manner,” Barau said.
Kawu had contended that it is the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAN) that has the power to transfer its responsibility to a would-be concessionaire, but not the ministry of aviation.
“I am worried about the rationale in borrowing and spending public money to upgrade the airport only to hand it over to foreign businesses for a period of 30 years in the name of a concession.
“Nigeria is receiving a concession fee or upfront of $1.5 million while the total amount of money that the Kano airport is accruing to the government is $97.4 million.
“This reflects that the combined import of the FAAN Act and the ICRC procedures manual are evident manifestations that the entire airports’ concession is based on an incurably faulty foundation,” he stated.
The senate resolved that the committee on aviation, when constituted, should investigate the ministry and agencies concerned and report back to the senate and urged the federal government to review the entire exercise and give a level playing field to all stakeholders.”
