In all spheres of life, particularly amongst public office holders, life would have been a better place if people could learn to realize that no condition is permanent. In other words, if people could recognize that power is transient, not only will things move accordingly, but the society will surely at the end be better for it.
Focusing on people mostly regarded as influential and public office holders across all sectors of the country’s economy, especially the aviation sector, there is no doubt that in view of the sensitivity and relatively interwoven functions they perform in their different domains, there is the need to see each other as partners in progress at least for the general national interest.
While as humans, misunderstanding is bound to occur in the course of the journey either for personal or national interest, but once this occurs, people should always remember that because they will not remain in that position forever, they should always remember tomorrow and the future of the national interest.
If this class of people can pay more attention to this fact, not only will the country and the areas of interests experience progress and positivity, it will also engender oneness, unity and love.
This description played up recently in the aviation sector when the news broke out about how the entire management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), led by its managing director, Captain Rabiu Yadudu decided to pay a condolence visit to the Chairman of Bicourtney Aviation Services of Nigeria (BASL), operators of Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA2),Dr Wale Babalakin over the demise of his father, retired Justice Bolarinwa Babalakin in Lagos.
Speaking during the visit,the FAAN MD had declared:“About us coming, of course you should know that he (Pa Babalakin) was an elder statesman. And for us as FAAN and Bi-Courtney, and any other individual, first things first, we are all humans and Nigerians. From there, any other thing will follow. So, we never tried to forget that and this management team tries to cultivate that. At this time, we must work with people that are working with us. The relationship is first. We are doing the same thing, we are delivering service to Nigerians, adding value to the industry, I think we should celebrate ourselves.”
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Receiving the FAAN team to his house, the legal luminary, Babalakin remarked: “I was pleasantly surprised when I was told that the esteemed management of FAAN was coming to visit us. At that, I was expecting one or two persons, but to receive the whole management of FAAN in Lagos here today, I am very touched and I am most grateful.
“Through you, again, we repeat our gratitude to the Federal Government of Nigeria because, he (the late Justice Babalakin) left the service 29 years ago and yet the President sent a high powered delegation to condole with us.
“And now for our own partner, FAAN, to deem it fit to come and pay us condolence, it is moving, it is touching and we are extremely grateful. And the relationship you have referred to from this day will become better and we would come to understand each other in a better way, for the furtherance of the business we do and to enhance human relations. My last point is that, God bless everyone. And when it is time for us to go, because as He said, we will all go, it is a matter of time, may we find ourselves in the right place.”
Ordinarily, this scenario should have gone like the ordinary ones, but what made this particular experience more rewarding was as a result of the long unresolved controversial disagreements between the two parties.
FAAN is the landlord of all the federal government airports across the country while BASL on the other hand is one of the strong concessionaires of FAAN that won the contract to rebuild the burnt terminal at the local airport.
As good as the partnership which happened to be the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) policy of the federal government in country’s aviation sector was meant to be, the hitherto sweet relationship went sour following the disagreement over the number of years the contract for the MMA2 was conceived.
While the MMA2 contract has been described by many as a masterpiece in view of the edifice put on ground at the Lagos airport, it has been expected that the two partners should have resolved the grey areas discovered in the agreement.
Unfortunately, the federal government that should have played the role of a father to the duo in bringing them to resolve the issue continues to play the catalyst role thus leaving the two to drag each other down.
In fairness, the present MD of FAAN was not part of the team that represented the government in the signing and sealing of the contract but with his latest move to commiserate with the Chairman of BASL over the death of his father has only shown that he was not only a good business man, but a peaceful and an open minded individual.
Equally, the manner in which the leadership of BASL received the FAAN team indicated that of an individual who believed that there was love even in the midst of a misunderstanding.
Obviously, the show of love displayed by the two sides which created excitement amongst the key players across the sector with majority commending the two partners, has opened a new door of reconciliation.
It is hoped that in the spirit of love and progress of the country at large that FAAN and Bicourtney managements will use this opportunity to come together to resolve the lingering misunderstanding to at least restore the sour relationship between private investors and the Nigerian government in the sector.
and then