Mr Tony Iredia, the retired former director-general of
the Nigeria television authority, NTA, recently fixed his gaze on the Nigerian
aviation sector and had a few interesting comments to make about it. In his
article titled,’ Aviation Reforms; Nigeria Still Too Far Behind, Iredia
compared Nigeria to Dubai and concluded that we are still quite far behind.
I must say that, in spite of the former NTA director-general’s
criticisms, his fair comments were like a breath of fresh air to an aviation
industry where powerful but selfish businessmen and women continue to spread
falsehood and mount campaigns of calumny against government agencies and their
heads, in order to achieve their selfish business interests.
Iredia was in Dubai along with several professional
colleagues from Nigeria to attend the annual international broadcast exhibition -CABSAT 2014.
According
to him, “considering
that the United Arab Emirate is a rich country, it was easy to appreciate the
magnificent difference between Dubai, its main city and Abuja – our own
self-acclaimed fastest growing city in Africa.”
Again, he noted that, “our most beautiful
International Conference Centre in Garki, Abuja can only pass for a village
square when compared to the Dubai World Trade Centre-the venue of CABSAT 2014.
Yet, our so-called conference centre in Garki serves as a tourist centre for
our fellow citizens who often travel long distances to see the marvels of
Abuja.’
Iredia then shifted his scornful look to the Nigerian
Aviation. He was sad over the reality that Nigeria airways, the country’s
defunct national airline was no longer there and he had to board Ethiopian
Airlines instead. Nostalgia aside, Iredia was not happy that he had to stop
over at the airline’s home country capital, Addis Ababa before proceeding to
Dubai couple with the fact that the airline did not fly direct to Dubai from
Abuja, even though the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport at Abuja is international.
The veteran broadcast journalist, lawyer and media
administrator who is well known for asking tough questions on his interview
programme recalls that if he had decided to board the United Arab Emirates, (UAE)
airline, The Emirates, he would need to come to Lagos to board the flight to
Dubai. When he questioned why the airline can’t fly direct from Abuja to
Dubai—capital city to capital city, he was offered a reason--- ‘An unofficial
source told us that for that to happen, top Nigerian aviation officials
would have to be ‘seen’. This meaning that money has to change hands.
Thankfully, that was an unofficial source, of which
the veracity of information cannot be confirmed and therefore, doubtful.
Typically, Iredia presented some tough posers;’ Did the recent reforms by our
aviation ministry consider this? If so, was it not clear that the concept of
“seeing” dents the country’s image?’ however considering that Iredia could not
confirm the truth of the information from his ‘unofficial’ source, his posers
appeared to be hanging on a weak limb. One can say categorically that the issue
of ‘seeing’ aviation officials, in which bribes are supposedly collected in
exchange for routes is totally absurd.
And for several reasons.
First, international routes are subject to bilateral agreements
signed at ministerial level. Secondly, routes plied by commercial airlines are
usually determined by economic factors rather than political considerations or
sentiments. For example, if the Abuja to Addis Ababa route is not profitable
for the airline, it would not do it. It certainly has nothing to do with
greasing the palm of anybody.
Again, that someone of Iredia’s calibre is very much
aware of the aviation reforms initiated by the immediate past Minister of Aviation,
Princess Stella Oduah is a plus to the impact that the idea of transforming the
Nigerian sector has made on the Nigerian society. There is confirmation from
what Iredia has said and written that there was and is still a need to
transform Nigerian aviation in order to move it forward to be able to compete
favourably with those of other countries.
At this juncture, one should also point out that the
aviation ministry in the past three years did a lot to open new international
routes for Nigerian aviation. Last year, the ministry successfully negotiated
and signed bilateral air service agreement with the State of Isreal, ending
several decades of lack of direct flights between Nigeria and Isreal. Earlier,
the aviation had granted approval to the Jordanian Airlines to fly direct
between Lagos and Amman, capital of Jordan.
Nigerian aviation authorities also recorded the first
direct international flight from the South-east last year, when President
Jonathan commissioned an expanded and remodelled Akanu Ibiam International Airport,
Enugu. On that occasion, an Ethiopian Airlines commercial aircraft undertook
direct flight from Enugu to Addis Abba.
So the transformation of the Nigerian aviation which
was also known as aviation reforms was multi-faceted and it indeed addresses
all the areas Iredia talked about and a lot more. But Iredia has pointed us to good example,
which is the hallmark of statesman-always seeking out for the progress of his
society.
It is on record that aviation ministry has been at
loggerheads with a few individuals with fraudulent concession agreements and
contracts through which the country was being milked by these private
businessmen. The cancellations of these concessions and the consequent return of
those duties to the aviation agencies has resulted in a phenomenal jump in
government revenue from aviation sector by more than a thousand per cent!
Please beat that.
Before President Jonathan’s massive infrastructural
development programme for the country’s airports, one would recall that even
the premier international gateway, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport
terminal usually looked like an overcrammmed missionary school assembly hall
during peak hours when passengers are travelling out of the country. Built over
35 years ago, without any new development the Murtala Muhammed international
airport like many other round the country, simply could no longer cope with the
demands of today’s aviation market. We knew we need not go to Dubai before we
realise this fact. That informed the quick intervention of Mr. President in the
sector.
Through the massive, radical remodelling programme for
22 airport terminals scattered around the country, President Jonathan literally
dragged Nigerian Aviation out of its stone age. Apart from scrammed facilities,
most of the airports were designed for passenger traffic only. They couldn’t
handle cargo, especially perishable cargo such as fresh fruit and vegetables.
Little surprise that Nigeria is absent from the list of African countries like
South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia even Ghana that all make hundreds of
millions in United States dollars from the export of these produce. I’m sure
that Iredia is aware of our losses in that area and how the reform is changing
that.
The redesign and reconstruction of some of these
airports to include cargo handling facilities that would benefit Nigerian
farmers and other exporters are the steps taken so far in that direction by the
aviation ministry.
As Iredia noted,’on arrival in Dubai, it was like a
new world. The International Airport alone has several terminals.’ This shows clearly
that airports need enough terminals for adequate passenger handling capacity. But
here in Nigeria, you will recall that one private airport terminal owner, Dr.
Wale Babalakin does not want additional
terminal capacity to be built to cater for growing passenger traffic in Lagos,
the country’s commercial hub.
He wants everybody to use one terminal only. He fought
against the expansion and the redesign of the General Aviation Terminal, GAT
and opposed the granting of approval to Lagos State government to build a new
airport that is now ongoing at its Lekki Free Trade Zone!
What would Iredia also say about the giant carcass of
a building which lies facing the MMIA2,the domestic terminal on the highway
leading to the international airport .This was supposed to be a 5-star hotel
completed five years ago. That has not be achieved till date and the structure which
looks abandoned hosts dangerous reptiles now. Yet the owner of the moribund
structure would not let go, he wants to hold down the development of that
facility that would enhance the airport until when he has the money to construct.
Nigerians and foreign visitors must wait. these were some of the forces of
retrogression that the former minsiter had to fight against in order to get
things to change for the better in the Nigerian aviation sector.
Now it is important to impress it on Iredia work are
in progress for Nigeria to own five new, state-of-the art international
airports to be located around the country, including Lagos and Abuja.
Presumably, these airports would be able to rival those at Dubai. But more
importantly, these would satisfy the needs of Nigerians especially for cargo
facilities that can handle perishable goods meant for export This would help
generate foreign exchange and improve the lots of Nigerian farmers.
Of course, Iredia also felt strongly about the absence
of Nigeria Airways.
Let me say that
has been in the plan in the last two years. Indeed, the former minister was not
happy about the lack of a national carrier for the country and made determined
efforts to remedy the situation before her exit. Yet some were very critical of
her moves even though the benefits of having a national airline are quite
clear.
In Dubai, Iredia also saw rows and rows of
duty-free shops, shops and shops and wondered what was happening to
Nigerian businessmen and women. Why can’t we have such shops all over our
airports? This is the answer: the Aviation Roadmap we have contains much more
than that. Yes, it is time to move at faster pace, I agree, because turning
back will be too dangerous for the standards already set for the sector.
Yakubu Dati is the Coordinating Spokesperson, Aviation Parastatals, wrote from Lagos
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