Fear Grips Aviations Chiefs Over Relocation Of Parastatals

By Simon Ateba

Talpable fear has gripped aviation chiefs in Lagos State over the directive given by the Federal Government that the administrative headquarters of the National Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the National Airspace Management Authority, NAMA and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, among others, relocate to Abuja, the Federal capital city.

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Air Transportation had given parastatals in the aviation sector a deadline, which lapsed last month, to relocate their administrative headquarters to Abuja, but aviation chiefs have been running from pillar to post to oppose the move and portray  it as a waste of time and resources.

They argue that, among the 22 airports in the country being managed by FAAN, only four are economically viable. They also say that among the viable ones, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, in Lagos State generates over 70 percent of the money used by FAAN, adding that, their presence in Lagos State where the highest volume of air operations is recorded has saved the industry from aircrashes.

Aviation chiefs, especially, the Director General of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, the Managing Director of NAMA, Captain Ado Sanusi, and Richard Aiseubeogun, the Managing Director of FAAN, have kicked against the move with all their strength.

They said they have to remain in Lagos where the bulk of revenue is generated and where most airlines have their headquarters.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Felix Hyat, has lashed out at aviation agencies and parastatals for attempting to frustrate a Federal Government’s directive ordering them to relocate to Abuja.

Hyat took a swipe at the recalcitrant agencies at a forum organised by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja two weeks ago .He said the directive was in the best interest of the industry, and government could not understand why some people with parochial interest are working assiduously to discredit the directive, when in actual fact the decision was aimed at bringing the agencies closer to the seat of government. “The decision was taken in the best interest of the sector to push the industry forward,’’ he said.

The minister also expressed government’s surprise that some critics, who claimed to be stakeholders in the industry are linking the relocation order to several air crashes that had occurred in the past.

“All those air crashes we had in the past took place while the parastatal agencies were in Lagos, so how can an issue of relocation be linked to air disasters?’’ he questioned

He premised his argument for the relocation on the ground that the regulators in the industry, who are supposed to be closer to the seat of government are actually miles away.

“You have a regulator, who is staying far away from the seat of government, a regulator who goes to the National Assembly on a frequent basis, who liaises with security agencies in the nature of work he does, who needs to interact with the supervisory minister and that person is hundreds of miles away.

“He shuttles to Abuja while he is needed in the office because he has to liaise with federal authorities. It doesn’t make sense,’’.

He said the argument of the so-called stakeholders who opposed the directive that the bulk of aviation activities are done in Lagos is far from the actual realities on the ground in Lagos, pointing out that Lagos airport had a regional office and did not need the headquarters.

“You don’t need the headquarters in Kaduna to oversee Kaduna airport; the parastatal agencies have their offices in all the airports of the federation.

“So why insist that the head office must be in Lagos?  During the public hearing, they fly in, fly out. There are so many risks involved in that,’’ Hyat told Runway.

He said it was unfortunate that people were being sentimental about the issue, pointing out that the ministry had to prioritise its activities and programmes. He said government will not be deterred in its drive to turn around the sector to enable it to compete with other aviation industries across the globe”. Despite the presence of aviation chiefs in Lagos, the country’s best international airport, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, the situation has remained chaotic and appalling. Apart from the presence of social miscreants all over the airport and money changers, who are ready to defraud passengers, there are several other challenges travellers face in Lagos and indeed other four international airports across the country.

The issue of baggage pilferage is rampant. Daily, passengers lose their luggage, laptops and other valuables due to poor cargo handling by companies and terrible security lapses. There is only one conveyor belt, one uncompleted runway, and one taxiway. There are also only two handling companies that are highly inefficient.

The presence of only one conveyor belt where many flights arrive or take off every day makes passengers wait endlessly for their luggage. An aviation expert blames the Nigerian Civil Authority of Nigeria, NCAA, for the way it distributes frequencies to airlines without considering the poor airport infrastructure available.

Signs guiding travellers’ movement within the arrival and departure halls are also terrible at Lagos airports. A first time traveller passing through these airports can hardly get to the right place without a guide. One can hardly distinguish between the international and local airport. This is because the sign systems are very bad. Internationally, it is better to use black text on yellow background for flying information such as departure or arrivals. Yellow text on black for bathroom facilities, green for exits and blue for food and retail, according to experts.

Pictogram should only be used for services easily imagined like taxis and phones. All signs at a particular airport should use just one font, but in Lagos, the colours are used indiscriminately. The aging terminals with lifts that are not always functional and constant power cut compound the situation. The transport link is also very bad at Lagos airports.

Also the missing Beech-craft 1900D that went missing on 15 March this year with three crew members on board is still fresh in our minds.

One wonders if the presence of NCAA, NAMA and FAAN in Lagos has been helpful to the development of the aviation industry in the country with millions of naira being spent monthly by aviation chiefs to attend meetings in Abuja.