Pensioners demand blueprint on planned airport concession

The National Union of Pensioners (NUP), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) branch, has challenged the Minister of State (Aviation), Senator Hadi Sirika, to release the blueprint of the proposed concession of the four international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.

In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Comrade Rasaki Ope, and Administrative Secretary, Comrade Emeka Njoku, the union said it had become imperative to make the blueprint public because of the security implications of exposing the airports to private sector management.

It faulted some of the reasons given by the minister for the airports' planned concession, adding that FAAN officials had in the past managed the facilities profitably.

They demanded: "Let the minister bring out the blueprint of all those he wants to concession our sovereignty to, so that security agents can investigate their activities.

"We have listened attentively to his proposal to concession the four viable airports without any recourse to some vital issues that are of of concern to this nation".

They urged the minister to be cautious in preparing the airports for concession without consideration for national security.

The statement reads: "In our letter to the Minister we drew his attention to issues about security and stated categorically that airports are not primarily built to make profits, just like borders that link countries in the world.

"We posit that, at present the Chinese are still constructing and expanding international airports, which the minister wants to concession to foreigners. This is a clear case of colonisation."

Scores of senior FAAN workers, who have spent 10 years and above, are planning to leave en masse because of the planned concession.

The workers, according to investigation, prefer to quit voluntarily to enable them pursue their severance benefits before the airports are handed over to private managers.

It was gathered that the workers are more concerned with their pension and gratuity, which they reason would be favourable under the existing pension scheme.

It was also learnt that FAAN management is worried about the impending exit of the workers because of the effect it would have on staff morale.

It is also worried about the huge gratuity those planning to leave would collect.