FAAN to close Kebbi, Gombe airports over N800m debts
Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo, Lagos
Following huge debts owed by various concessionaires and airlines, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is set to close the Kebbi and Gombe international airports to recover debts owed the organization.
The two airports which are state government owned are said to be indebted to FAAN to the tune of over N800 million for the services provided by the organization in the running of the day to day activities of the two airports.
Investigation by Daily Times revealed that while Gombe state government is owing FAAN close to N600 million, the Kebbi state government is also indebted to the agency to about N165 million.
The debt drive which are in phases will be shifted to other airports after that of Gombe and Kebbi.
FAAN it was learnt wrote several letters to both state governments for the payment of the debts, but they failed to respond hence the organization vowed to withdraw all its personnel from all debtor airports.
According to sources close to FAAN, with effect from May 1 the agency will commence the closure of state owned airports indebted to it.
The sources further disclosed that FAAN security and fire personnel have not been paid for long by the two states.
It was also gathered that FAAN was working with sister agencies like the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to ensure that all airlines are notified before the planned date of the action.
Other debtor airports include, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Jigawa, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom and Asaba.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), FAAN branch, Comrade Abdulrasaq Ope has lamented the huge debts owed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria by airlines and concessionaires.
Ope, who spoke at the delegates conference of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) FAAN branch, held in Lagos, said the debts was a bad omen for an organization like FAAN that needs money to keep the system working.
He urged the Minister ofsState for Aviation, Hadi Sirika to mandate all debtors of FAAN to pay up their debts in order to save the agency from collapsing.
