Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government has said that the palliatives to be announced for the aviation industry next week will not be in cash.
Recalled that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had called for aviation-specific financial relief measures from the Nigerian government to address the severe impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the air transport sector.
The government had also in May said the sector has been losing about N21 billion monthly since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, made the disclosure weekend while briefing the media after the airport simulation exercise in Lagos ahead of resumption of activities in the aviation sector.
According to him, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will make the announcement, adding that the sector has been captured in the economic stimulus plan of the government.
Sirika further explained that all stakeholders from airlines, food vendors, ground handlers, car hire and others would all be beneficiaries of the government assistance which may not necessarily be cash as everyone expected but something to cushion the impact of the pandemic on their businesses.
The minister said: “All of the businesses in Civil Aviation have lost tremendous amount of income, almost all of them are not able to pay salaries, the airlines cannot pay salaries because there is no business, shops are closed, very huge economic challenge, government in its wisdom is putting something together to help the entire Industry.
“Government is coming up very soon, we are finalizing with the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the CBN. Sometimes next week, we will announce in the quantum of the amount or the palliatives. In other words, whatever has been decided will be announced in about a week from now.
“The government has done the economic sustainability plan and within that plan, we will certainly take care of civil aviation. But I must add that it’s not necessarily a cash donation like people wanted. No, we have so many ways to ensure that we eased that hardship.”
In the area of aircraft safety, the aviation minister stressed that all technical issues have been carefully handled from the aircraft to the pilots, engineers, crew, air traffic controllers to ensure they are compliant in the area of proficiency, airworthiness to ensure flight safety.
Sen. Sirika said there was no room for error in civil aviation and as such everything must be done in line with standards and recommended practices and the health protocols by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Speaking in the same vein, the coordinator of the PTF on Covid-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, also said he was satisfied with the level of preparation by the operators, stakeholders and the regulators of the Aviation sector especially on the preparedness for the air travel restart.
Sani enthused, “the stakeholders have done tremendously well. And I can assure the would be passengers, that the Aviation industry is safe for them to fly and they would be well protected against contracting the dreaded virus”.
He however implored the passengers to do their own part of the bargain any time the airports are open for flight, by voluntarily complying with all these safety protocols the aerodrome managers had provided.
“You know the PTF gave the aviation industry three weeks period to prepare and I will like to say that they are more than prepared. Aviation is a highly regulated sector and it’s one of the reason why we wanted it to go first in terms of preparing the country for what is going to be the new normal.
“And what’s the new normal? Just by looking at your seats you will know that things have changed, just by looking at the security people at the airports, the way those giving you tickets are behaving you will know that things have changed. Things have changed because we have a disease that is killing people and we have a responsibility for our own health. I am pleased to say that aviation has done spectacularly well. They have shown what they are able to do as a highly regulated sector. It now depends on Nigerians to be disciplined. Because, I looked round and I had to keep reminding people to put their masks on, the purpose of your mask is not just to cover your mouth, it is also to cover your nose. If you are within a large gathering and you are asymptotic and you are not wearing your masks properly, you are going to transmit that infection.
“So I am pleading with Nigerians, while the aviation has done tremendously well, what will protect you is yourself. What will protect you is yourself and you have to challenge other citizens that are putting you at risks.”
Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora; warned that government is going to take the responsibility of enforcing the protocols seriously.
He said: “I want to buttress what the national coordinator of the PTF has said, we cannot overemphasized that every individual must take responsibility for his or her own health. No matter what is put in place by the aviation authority, unless individuals take personal responsibility…For example in the newly built toilets that we saw, it is boldly written there that not more than five at a time. But don’t be surprised that people can just rush in there more than the required number. So we may have to put in place some kind of enforcement. Don’t be surprise that when services returned, despite the fact that it is boldly written, do not use this seats, you will see some people sitting there. People must take this responsibility and comply.
“So the issue of compliance is very critical but where people fail to comply, government has a duty of enforcement.”
The Nigerian government had on March 23 shut all international airports in the country in a bid to halt the spread of the virus which reportedly in the community stage currently.