How not to leave behind a battered aviation sector

Never had the different key players in the country’s aviation sector been so divided on various issues presently confronting the sector.

It is no more news that all is not well with the sector in view of some policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led as they affect the aviation sector in the less than three months for it to constitutionally begin to wind down its administration.

Again, it’s obvious that these questionable policies are responsible for why the sector is enmeshed in controversies which have almost turned it to a battleground between the various interest groups with different motives.

The bone of contentions amongst the key groups are centered around many policies of the government being spearheaded by the minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika as the key official of the government saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the affairs of the sector under his ministry.

It is equally no longer hidden that the tenure of the minister and the Buhari administration has less than three months to properly function before the electioneering campaigns fully kick off to pave the way for a new government when

the incoming government with its new minister of aviation is expected to take over the affairs of the sector in line with its mandates.

Obviously, and in view of these facts, it should be no rocket science for anyone to realise that what is left for the government and the minister is to start tidying up its books in ensuring many of the critical actions vis a vis policies embarked on in the past seven years are straightened for the sake of transparency and smooth transfer of functions.

In doing this, it is also not out of place for the minister to leave those policies obviously he may not be able to bring to proper execution as times are already running out for him.

Hence, like the popular adage that says ‘do your best and leave the rest’, the minister should know that he cannot go far in his present ambition to execute most of the projects he has lined up in other not to leave behind a disjointed legacy.

Without trying to preempt the minister, it is believed that by now he must have been seen the hand writing on the wall that the majority of stakeholders in the sector are not too comfortable with his moves to still think he can carry out some of the projects he lately lined up.

If the minister could not execute these projects in the past seven years of occupying his position, it therefore makes no sense to think he can achieve that within three months in view of what such projects entail.

Amongst such pending projects are:establishment of a national carrier, Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul, establishing an aircraft leasing company, agro-allied airports, aerotropolis, and concessioning of the four major international airports in Lagos, Abuja, demolition of agencies head offices in Lagos and others.

Apart from the gigantic statuses of these projects, the humongous amount these will cost the country at an election year seems unrealistic.

Rather than use national funds to chase after projects that may not stand the test of time, why can’t the minister concentrate on the national carrier project and deliver it to Nigerians in December as the new date that has been announced for its take off and hands off the rest to the incoming government.

Amidst these confusion, the body language of the minister as observed by many key players is that depicting ‘a no retreat, no surrender’ on the too numerous pending projects which is responsible for the sharp divisions among the various key players in the sector with many of the players ready to verbally attack those not on the same page with them.

There is no doubt that the present air of high tension and tempers reigning in the sector which is creating bad blood among the groups is based on genuine apprehension over the negative consequences the decision to engage in these untidied projects will have on an already battered sector gasping for survival based on bad policies.

While recognizing some achievements recorded under this government which the minister will surely be remembered for, it will however be suicidal to throw the sector into litigations and deeper mess that may arise from projects that lack due diligence and transparency.