Activities at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State were briefly interrupted on Wednesday morning following a protest by members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) over federal government’s plan to concession the airport.
The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, recently announced the readiness of government to concession the Port Harcourt International Airport and the Akanu Ibiam International Cargo Airport, Enugu, over what he described as their non-viability.
Some of the placards carried by the protesting aviation workers read: ‘FAAN Workers Say No To Concession’, Concession Is A Fraud, FAAN Workers Say No To Fraud’.
Speaking during the protest, NUATE Chairman, Felix Ohwoefe, wondered why the federal government will choose Port Harcourt Airport for concessioning when the airport is already competing with the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, in terms of traffic and revenue generation.
Ohwoefe, who stated that there were more airports in the North and South-West that are not viable, described the planned concession as a fraud.
He further stated that the aviation workers at the airport will not back down on the issue until the federal government comes to term with the union’s demands.
The NUATE boss said, “We are fighting a just cause. For the purpose of this, we must be allowed; we must be strong. Port Harcourt International Airport can never be concessioned. If you want to concession airports, concession those that are not viable.
“For them to tell us that Port Harcourt International Airport is not viable is a fraud and they have their interest and we will not agree. We must stand our grand. Until government comes to term with the union’s demands, we will not back down. We will continue to fight until the world hears us.”
