By Karry Osa-Okuns
Recent events in the aviation industry in Nigeria, in the past few weeks point to one direction: There is in short circulation honest people to assist in the running of the aviation industry, a sector that is dire and critical to the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria. It is needless to state that controversy continue to dog efforts by the government to deliver infrastructure in the aviation sector occasioned by institutional greed, corruption and other vices that combine to short change the nation.
It was this situation that prompted the controversial administration of Olusegin Obasanjo to thinker with the idea of public private partnership in the aviation industry. One of the fall out of the public private partnership is the build, operate and transfer initiative, that gave vent to the delivery of one of the most controversial agreements, the government of Nigeria, has ever signed with a private firm for the delivery of the new domestic terminal two of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Terminal Two otherwise known as MMA2, with a Nigerian Firm: Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, owned by youthful lawyer Dr Wale Babalakin.
The firm according to the agreement it signed with government is to manage the new terminal for 36 years, a claim that has become a subject in rigorous debate in many quarters, both informed, warped and otherwise. Issues that have been brought to the fore in the inferno like debate is the status of control over the old domestic terminal , which the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria continues to claim was not captured in the controversial agreement.
FAAN’S theory of the non - inclusion of the old domestic terminal is anchored on the premise that the radius spelt out on the agreement does not extend to the geographical space that houses the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport , Ikeja, Lagos. While the contention over who controls the general aviation terminal is yet to simmer, the minister of aviation: youthful Babatunde Omotoba, who had earlier told journalists that the government has given approval for the re- building or expansion of the terminal by a private sector firm after a keenly contested , competitive and transparent process , last week secretly ordered FAAN to hand over the old domestic terminal to officials of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, in a manner that reeks of monopolistic tendencies and sheer fraud.
Omotoba, it was who told journalists that the old domestic terminal will not be handed over to Bi- Courtney Limited, even as he affirmed that the process that will lead to the delivery of an expanded new terminal at the general aviation terminal in the old domestic wing will be distant from controversy, undue manipulation and sheer illegality. Conversely, the pretentious Omotoba flew into Lagos last week to oversee the handing over of the old domestic terminal to Bi- Courtney Limited, a fall out of an orchestrated script between Omotoba and his pay masters.
Why should Omotoba lie? Was he not sure of himself as a minister of the federal republic , when he acted contrary to his words? With personalities like Omotoba, the aviation industry is far from redemption, as his actions have thus far portrayed him as a man who could not be trusted on his words. He may as well pass for a rabble rouser, who hangs in the corridor of power to enjoy the perquisites of office, while pretending to unfold an agenda for the aviation industry.
The ripple effects of this illegal act are far beyond imagination. What becomes of FAAN, and its personnel attached to the old domestic terminal?
The over 300 staff posted to the GAT, as the terminal is called have their fate hanging in the balance. These so called concessionaires, whose only mission is to sap the aviation industry dry should go and invest in unviable airports scattered all over the country, in places like Akure, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Gombe, Makurdi, Sokoto, Ibadan, Ilorin ; instead of government selling off the viable airports in the name of public private partnership.
Although, Arik Air is poised to resist the illegal hand over of the old domestic terminal to Bi- Courtney Limited, industry players are watching how unions in the aviation industry will wrestle with the criminals who have combined to short change the industry. Omotoba has to clear the air, on the unfolding developments, else he has joined the ranks of sabotuers who collude with capitalists to arrest the development of the aviation industry. The whole world is watching.
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