The federal government has dismissed reports by a newspaper that the re-modelling of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano is responsible for low passengers’ traffic at the airport, saying the present security situation in the city was responsible.
Reacting to the report, General manager, Corporate Communications of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said the transformation of the airport ought to open it to floodgate of patronage and not the other way round.
According to him, the low level passengers’ traffic into the airport can be traced easily to the security situation in Kano, fuelled by the activities of the fundamentalist Islamic group, Boko Haram.
Dati noted that improved security in Kano would boost air travel in the city.
“The newspaper also alleged that there was sabotage by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and the Ministry of Aviation to make the terminal and perhaps the airport dormant, but this is not true.
“We wish to state that Kano has been and will continue to be one of the major airports in Nigeria and it is because of the importance attached to the airport that FAAN embarked on rebuilding the domestic terminal which was commissioned in early 2011.
“When the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah visited the Kano airport and was shocked at the decrepit state of the international terminal, she immediately embarked on its remodelling. In addition to that, the Minister immediately designated the airport perishable cargo airport and embarked on building a perishable cargo terminal as well as another international terminal at the airport. Work on the projects would soon be started as contracts for them have been awarded,” Dati said.
“Ironically, no airport in this country has been so improved; yet this newspaper which styles itself as the voice of the north is misinforming Nigerians and showing so much ignorance.
“If the terminal or the airport is alleged to be dormant, it means that there is low passenger movement and it is not the responsibility of FAAN or the Ministry of Aviation to attract the passengers to the airport.
“The under-utilisation of the airport could be explained by the security situation in Kano and we believe that if the state government is working effectively with the Federal Government which has made efforts to eliminate insurgents in the north, air travellers will start coming to Kano and airlines which had already been designated will feel safe to operate from the airport.
“The report cited other airports such as the ones in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Enugu as airports that are active and supposedly with completed remodelled airport terminal facilities. The newspaper exposed crass ignorance in the report because there is no international terminal at Enugu airport.
“The project that was commissioned recently in Enugu was the remodelled domestic terminal and work is still going on for the installation of such equipment as conveyor belt, electronic check in counters and others.
“We also wish to say that in terms of facilities, the Kano airport is ahead of others in this country; that Port Harcourt terminal project is yet to be completed and that for now, the remodelled terminal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, is designated for domestic operations but both international and domestic services are still emanating from the facility until the international terminal is built.
“The problem of Kano airport is the issue of security in Kano. If this newspaper is actually the voice of the north, it should almost on daily basis write editorials on how to restore Kano to its glorious past. It is when this is done that the airport would begin to witness increased passenger movements that will boost the utilisation of the airport.
“We also wish to say that although the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos provides over 80 per cent of FAAN’s revenue; yet the Kano domestic and international airport terminals were completed before that of Lagos. In fact, work is still going on at the international terminal of the Lagos airport and it is hoped it will be commissioned later this year.
“It is also mischievous for the newspaper to choose to interview anonymous persons who showed so much ignorance about the workings of the Kano Airport, instead of talking to professionals who would give the reporters accurate information.
“Such accurate information that the conveyor belt installed at the Kano airport, will take five minutes and not two hours to move bags from the airside to passengers and that all equipment it mentioned, including X-ray machines have been installed and that the terminal is ready to facilitate passenger movement.
“The unseen hands influencing such subjective and decisive editorials claim ignorance of the fact that the airport remodelling projects began in the North with the commissioning of the Hajj Terminals in Kano and Kaduna Airports by no less personalities than the Sultan of Sokoto and speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
“They could claim more “northerners” than this highly respected Northerners, including the Governor of Central Bank, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who commissioned the remodelled International terminal of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and commended President Goodluck Jonathan, especially for transforming the airport after many years of neglect.”
