September 17, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened a showdown over the federal government’s plan to concede Nigeria’s four international airports.
The NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, made the Union’s intention known on Thursday while receiving members of four media chapters of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in his office in Abuja.
According to Wabba, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, which he said accounts for over 60 percent of international flights in Nigeria, is on the list of the airports to be conceded.
Others, according to him are, “Mallam Aminu Kano Airport; Port Harcourt International Airport and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.”
Wabba said the move is suspicious, questioning the rationale behind the government’s plan to trade off the airports it borrowed loans to put back in shape.
He said under the planned concession, 60 percent would be ceded to the concessioner; leaving the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) with 40 percent, out of which the government is expected to service the loan from China and pay workers’ salaries.
The NLC boss lamented that a similar arrangement was used to trade off the Murtala Mohammed (MM2) Airport in Ikeja, which resulted in bitter litigation and perpetual injunctions ceding the asset to the concessioner.
Wabba vowed that labour unions would ensure the planned concessions fail.
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