By Seyi Babalola
Festus Keyamo, SAN, the Aviation Minister, has highlighted the deplorable state of toilets, chillers, and other facilities at the country’s international airports.
He ascribed the humiliating situation on weak bureaucratic management, adding that plans were in the works to hand over management of the five international airports to some of the world’s top private enterprises.
Keyamo stated this while delivering his scorecard at the Ministerial Sectoral Press Briefings organized by the Federal Government to commemorate the one anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
“About the toilets, chillers and the poor state of our airports, we had an answer to that on our way forward. And that is the fact Mr. President has said and I’ve told him we’re starting the whole concession process all over again. To be more transparent.
“That was what we met on the ground. The concessions of our major airports have long been agreed upon. We all agree, you and I, that bureaucracy cannot run public utility, it’s impossible.
“So let’s not argue that. It’s been established. I apologise for saying that. But the bureaucracy cannot run public infrastructure and that is why they call it bureaucracy…it’s not possible. So, it’s only when you remove bureaucracy and run a public utility like your own house, nothing is going to happen.
“We’ll continue to see these problems until we do full concession of the airports and they’re run professionally like private businesses.
“And that’s what we’re doing. In the whole process, the President said we’ll go for the best in the world in terms of airport management.”
