Uche Usim, Abuja
The Minister of Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika, has assured anxious Nigerians that the implementation of the new roadmap for the sector remains on course as business cases for the new national carrier and Aerospace University projects are ready.
The Minister, who made the disclosures on his verified Tweeter handle @hadisirika on Tuesday said; “The approved aviation roadmap is on course. We had investor conference yesterday as promised. Bidders shortlisted. The remaining part of the roadmap, which includes National Carrier and Aerospace University, is running well. Business cases ready”.
Meanwhile, aviation experts have urged the Minister to urgently redesign the existing airports security architecture in the face of rising incidences of breaches, infractions and intrusion at airports across the country.
Citing the upsurge in stowaways, intrusion into airports’ air side and other security infractions, they urged the aviation minister to put on the front burner measures to complete fencing of airports and their perimeter.
Aside consolidating existing containment measures on threat to airports security and air safety, they advised the minister to revisit ongoing recruitment of Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Aerodrome Fire Fighting and Safety Personnel attached to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
On Monday, the Federal Government begun the process of establishing an Aviation Leasing Company (ALC) and a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) as it held a bidders conference for the two concerns.
In attendance were officials of the Ministry of Aviation, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Federal Ministry of Finance, aviation labour unions, transaction advisers and prospective investors.
At the end of the conference, one company, a consortium of A. J. Walters/Glovesly/Egypt Air was shortlisted out of three for the Aviation Leasing Company.
For the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, two (2) companies namely; A.J. Walters/Glovesly/Egypt Air and Ethiopian Airlines were shortlisted out of seven that expressed interest.
Declaring the conferences open, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics and Chairman of the Project Delivery Team, Alhaji Muhammad Shehu, said the event marked another phase on government’s determination to ensure the realisation of the projects.
He also assured of a transparent process leading to the actualization of the projects which are being executed through public private Partnerships.