Yemisi Izuora
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), may likely withdraw its services from Gombe, Kebbi and Bebi airports, after issuing a notice to the operators of the aerodromes that the Authority will shut the airports on May 1, 2019 if all outstanding debts to the agency are not defrayed.
Spokeswoman of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu also informed that more airports or terminals will experience similar treatment soon.
The breakdown shows that Gombe airport is indebted to FAAN to the tune of N607.9 million; while Kebbi and Bebi airports are indebted to the tune of N124.5 million and N76. 8 million respectively.
FAAN said it had earlier sent a notice of intention to sanction to the operators of the affected airports to settle their debts on or before April 24.
The agency said it had however added another seven days grace till April 30 for all outstanding debts to be settled.
It said “The authority shall be constrained to commence the implementation of sanctions at the expiration of this notice if the organisations fail or refuse to pay up as advised.
“In view of the above, the authority hereby notifies private airport operators that the services of our Aviation Security and Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting personnel will no longer be available for the operations of their airports with effect from May 1.”
It said “This action has become imperative as the management of Gombe airport is indebted to the authority to the tune of N607. 9 million, while Kebbi and Bebi airports are indebted to the tune of N124.5 million and N76. 8 million respectively.
This is reminiscent of the action taken by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency in (NAMA) when it closed Osubi and other airstrips owned by private firms and state governments September 2018 over humongous debts in excess of N4 billion incurred over the years.
Most of the aerodromes were hugely indebted to NAMA just as paucity of funds stretched the finances of the airspace agency as many airlines, airports and airstrips operators reneged in paying for services rendered by the agency which relies on revenue generated from its services to pay workers and maintain its highly powerful navigation equipment which run on electricity or generating plants for 24 hours.
Gombe, Kebbi and Osubi airports are some of the aerodromes commonly described as unviable.
Apart from the 25 airports being managed by the FAAN, many state governments have since discovered airport projects both as a status symbol and a conduit pipe to syphon huge funds from the government’s purse. But not a few analysts view such efforts as a conduit and waste of public resources.
The states that have either proposed or built airports are: Bauchi, Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Jigawa, Bayelsa, Kebbi, Gombe and Taraba, even as Ekiti, Nasarawa, Osun, Ogun, Zamfara, Abia, Anambra, Oyo and Lagos states wrap up plans to build their own.
The experts also said lack of critical infrastructure; patronage and political factors are responsible for the underutilisation of some of the airports in the country, making them not viable in terms of positive and optimal contributions to the nation’s economy.
They said only four out of the over 25 domestic and international airports in the country are viable,
The four considered to be viable airports are Murtala Mohammed International Airport, (MMIA) Lagos; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja and Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Port Harcourt while others are not rated as viable airports.