Following statements by the Federal Government, implementation of a roadmap on the Aviation sector, including establishment of a national carrier and concession of some airports have attained 70 per cent.
Aviation Minister Senator Hadi Sirika dropped the hint yesterday while briefing reporters at the State House, Abuja, after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
Sirika was giving an update on items on the roadmap for which the government invested billions of naira in bid to reposition the sector.
The minister disagreed that not much had been achieved and said his ministry had succeeded in completing the targets, which should become concrete in three to four weeks, when memoranda on four items would be tabled before FEC.
According to Sirika, Nigeria Air’s take-off, concession of airports, aviation leasing company as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility would be approved by FEC in three to four weeks.
He said: “I monitor Arise News in the morning and a certain Mbonu, who I respect, like his views, was also speaking about civil aviation, perhaps, as an expert.
“He also claimed the government spent billions of naira on the airline and on other roadmap projects. He said they are five. They are five, they are seven, and that there is nothing on ground to show, and we haven’t achieved one single roadmap yet.
“Well, I just want to educate him and other people who might have watched him. We want to encourage him to research more and ask questions. But two, to say that all our roadmap items are PPP (Public-Private Partnership) and these PPPs take time.
“Typically, they are between three to 10 years world over. We are running at a huge speed and all, about four of them, will come to council in three weeks. The national carrier will come, concession of airports will come, aviation leasing company will come, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, to the council and get approved and we’re done.
“All four of them will come to the council in three, maximum, four weeks and then the airports will be concessioned. We’ve finished everything and we just want the approval of FEC in three to four weeks.
“So, the roadmap, substantially, up to 70 per cent, has been implemented and gives credit to President Buhari’s government.”
On state of readiness for the national carrier, the minister said: “Nigeria Air is on course we are going to come very soon to council for approval of the full business case and the activity is a partnership, Public Private Partnership, which was guided by ICRC regulations (Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission).”
Sirika noted that FEC approved the signing of a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Kuwait.
He said the agreement would open up airline services between the two countries in accordance with provisions of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
“That memo has to do with the signing of BASA between Nigeria and Kuwait. In the memorandum as approved, the text was initialled and cleared by Federal Ministry of Justice.
“It provided that the content of the agreement should have reciprocal rights and privileges for both countries and airlines involved.
“This will open up opportunities for air transportation between the two countries in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) convention of December 7, 1944, to which both countries are signatories.”
He further noted that council approved a contract for hiring of consultants for revalidation and collection of aviation height clearance for high rise structures as well as masts that could obstruct flight operations.
The minister said the contract would run at no cost to the budget because the revenue accrued there-in would be used to pay the consultants.
Sirika said: “We got approval for the award of contract for the engagement of consultants for revalidation and collection of aviation height clearance on behalf of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The contract was approved with a scale and at no cost to the budget.
“The revenue derived therefrom will be used to pay the consultants from N0 to N1 billion (seven per cent); N1 billion to N2.5 billion (five per cent) and N2.5 billion and N5 billion (three per cent).
“For more clarity, the aviation height clearance is important to the safety of air operations. What concerns us in civil aviation is how efficient you depart from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’.
“There have been instances where we had air crashes in the past due to communication masts, such as the one in Jos, Plateau State. Having masts around the airport, or its vicinity, or even a building, so long as it causes unsafe operations that need to be regulated by NCAA.”
Sirika said going forward; the consultants would go after people with such masts or buildings to ensure they abide by the regulations.