The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sen. Hadi Sirika

  • N12b is required to complete Lagos airport road- ICRC

    N12b is required to complete Lagos airport road- ICRC

    Mr Aminu Diko, the Director General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), has said that N12 billion would be required to complete the Lagos Airport road rehabilitation project, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    A statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by ICRC Head of Communications, Mrs Deborah Okafor, said Diko made the call when he led a management team on a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika.

    Diko also said that a private investor had indicated interest in expanding the facility into eight-lane road with flyovers and that the procurement process was ongoing, after which construction would begin.

    He also called on the ministry to speed up work on the concession of Nigeria’s four busiest airports – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.

    Diko advised on the setting up of a Project Delivery Team and a Steering Committee to be chaired by the minister.

    “Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are complex and take time to consummate and so there is need to kick-start the process by quickly establishing the project team that would see to the engagement of a transaction adviser to manage the development and procurement stages.

    “This should go hand in hand with the convening of extensive stakeholders’ consultations to ensure the success of the project in view of resistance to the planned concessions by aviation unions.”

    Sirika, in his response, said that government did not have the required funds to revamp the country’s infrastructure, and so the ministry would continue to encourage private sector intervention in service provision in the aviation industry.

    He said that with a population of over 170 million and a 38 per cent return on investment, Nigeria ranked among the best locations to do business.

    Sirika said that the trend around the world was to use other people’s money for infrastructure development.

    He said there were plans by the ministry to promote the development of cargo airports to be co-located with existing ones and which would be maintained by the private sector.

    Sirika said that talks were ongoing with Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd, the concessionaire of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Terminal 2, with a view to resolving all pending issues.

  • I had no quarrel with Amaechi – Sirika

    I had no quarrel with Amaechi – Sirika

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika has dismissed the rumour that he quarreled with his colleague, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

    Sirika attributed the rumour to mischief makers and unidentified social media users.

    Reports on social media indicated that the ministers almost engaged in physical combat with his colleague which led to the removal of the Sirika’s portrait on walls at the airport and buildings of agencies under aviation sector.

    The minister however dismissed the report in Abuja on Thursday during a meeting with Journalists.

    According to him: “The social media said that I and the Minister are fighting but that is not true. The fact that there are no pictures of me at airports, offices and agencies under aviation is based on my personal choice.

    “I believe that my photo will not give Nigerians anything, rather, it is my actions that will. I don’t need my pictures on walls, they were there before but I ordered that they be removed. Photo will not give us good airports and runways, rather good governance and that is my challenge and target.

    “Having pictures everywhere as far as I am concerned is very trivial, unnecessary and it is not my style”, he said.

    On when his pictures should be hung on walls, the minister said: “my pictures should be put on walls when I have worked. Having my pictures on walls is not the major reason why I was appointed to serve, my dream is to change the industry for better and when that is done, then my pictures can be put everywhere”.

    Earlier, the minister also called for the merger of the ministry of Transportation, Aviation and Works.

    The minister said this while responding to issues raised by the National President of Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), Mr. Benjamin Okeowo during a courtesy call.

    According to the minister: “for me, I think the merger ought to even go a step further than what it is today. The merger is between aviation and transportation but for me, I think the ministry of transportation should still carry Federal Ministry of Works and certain critical aspects.

    “Why works, because if you remove environment, lands and housing from works, what will remain is highways and highways like waterways and airways are all ways and they are under transportation.

    Sirika however craved the indulgence and understanding of the Union and other stakeholders adding that the Buhari’s administration will come up with something very positive that will be in the interest of the aviation sector.

    The Union lamented that the merger of aviation and transportation ministry has led to less efficiency in the aviation sector.

    Okeowo said: “government have come out with their policy on merger of aviation and transport but we must say that as stakeholders, the merger is not favouring us because there is so many delay we are seeing as a result of this merger, things are not taking proper shape and things are not done with speed as it is expected of the aviation industry.

    “Honestly, we thought policies are to ensure efficiency but we are not getting that efficiency. It is like the policy is expanding the bureaucracy and that for us is not good for the aviation industry”.

    He also noted that the Union is after a situation where things will be done with precision like it is done in other aviation industries around the world.

     

  • FG lists condition for partnership on national carrier

    The Federal Government has set out conditions under which it would go into a partnership with any interested party for the re-establishment of a national carrier.

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, noted that interested parties must have plans for direct transfer of technology through training of Nigerians and also put in place plans for local manufacturing of basic maintenance equipment and spare parts.

    A statement issued on Thursday by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Affairs in the ministry, James Odaudu, said the minister spoke in Abuja during a visit by representatives of Airbus.

    He said the conditions were indicative of the seriousness attached to the project by the federal government, adding that it is the only way to ensure that the proposed national airline comes on stream on a sound footing.

    Sirika stated that the whole process of the establishment and the choice of partners would be transparent.

    He said the vision of the government was to establish a national carrier that would not only be internationally competitive and profitable, but also efficiently and professionally managed while also being affordable and customer-centred.