Igbo chiefs oppose handover of Enugu's global air hub

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Akanu Ibiam International airport Enugu

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…Say FG funding withdrawal will undermine airport standards

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By Anayo Okoli

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ENUGU — The Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT), a group of prominent Igbo intellectuals, traditional rulers and stakeholders, has rejected the Federal Government’s concession of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, to a private company.

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The group described the decision by the administration of President Bola Tinubu as “another grave act of injustice against Ndigbo” and a further demonstration of the marginalisation of the South-East.

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Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), last Thursday formally handed over the airport to Aero Alliance Limited after the completion of the necessary documentation.

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Under the 30-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement, facilitated by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, the concessionaire will finance, rehabilitate, expand, operate and manage the airport.

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However, in a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, ILT rejected the arrangement, warning that the withdrawal of Federal Government funding would compromise the airport’s infrastructure, operational efficiency, safety standards and passenger experience.

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The statement, signed by ILT President, Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi, and Secretary, Prof. Jerry Chukwuokolo, recalled that the proposed concession had generated controversy over issues of transparency, inadequate consultation, labour concerns, contract duration and the sustainability of private funding for such a strategic national asset.

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The group expressed concern that despite the unresolved issues, the Federal Government proceeded with the concession, awarding it to a company it claimed had no known record of managing an international airport of similar scale either in Nigeria or abroad.

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According to ILT, the development means that of Nigeria’s six international airports, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is the only one to be fully financed, operated and managed by a private company, while the Federal Government continues to fund the remaining five.

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The group recalled that the airport was established in the 1950s by the former Eastern Region Government as an aerodrome before it was upgraded to a regular airport during the military administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the late 1970s.

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It added that the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua upgraded the facility to international status in 2007, while it commenced international operations in 2013 after extensive rehabilitation under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

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ILT also noted that the Federal Government invested about ₦14 billion in upgrading the airport during the Yar’Adua and Jonathan administrations.

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The group further recalled that in October 2019, the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari approved a ₦10 billion special intervention fund to rehabilitate the airport’s runway, airfield lighting and perimeter fencing.

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According to the statement, the rehabilitation was completed and inaugurated in August 2020 under the then Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

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ILT argued that the Tinubu administration had reversed those gains by conceding the airport while continuing to fund and manage the country’s other international airports.

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“As of today, there is no active private concessionaire operating any of the other five international airports in Nigeria, namely Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Malam Aminu Kano International Airport; Port Harcourt International Airport; and Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo. Why should the case of Enugu International Airport be different?” the group asked.

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It also questioned why the Federal Government proceeded with the Enugu concession before concluding concession processes for the other international airports.

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The group further noted that while the Federal Government cancelled the concession plan for the international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos in favour of a ₦712 billion reconstruction project under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, it adopted a different approach for Enugu Airport.

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“When President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, he described his administration as a continuation of the Buhari government. Unfortunately, he abandoned that approach in the case of Enugu International Airport by handing it over to a private company instead of approving further intervention funds as was done for Lagos Airport.

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“This is another grave injustice against Ndigbo and a further escalation of the marginalisation of the South-East. We will not allow this injustice by the Tinubu government to stand,” the statement said.

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The group vowed to challenge the concession through all lawful means available.

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ILT also expressed concern that the Federal Government ignored reservations raised by aviation unions over the concession process, including concerns about transparency and alleged links between the concessionaire and state officials.

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According to the group, the concession could hinder the long-term growth and development of the South-East’s only international airport.

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“Based on our findings, none of Nigeria’s six international airports is profitable. They all rely on government funding to operate. If the Federal Government stops funding Enugu International Airport, even for one day, the facilities will deteriorate.

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“If the airports are not profitable, where will the concessionaire generate the resources required to maintain the airport over the next 30 years? The government should continue funding Enugu Airport just as it does the other international airports in the country,” ILT stated.

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