An Abuja-based businessman and Chief Executive of OPAL Group of Companies, Mr Higgins Peters has urged Nigerians to support the move by government to privatise airports in Nigeria, pointing out that privatisation will ensure proper development of the airports.
He said that it was good reasoning to allow private hands manage and operate the airports, because government business is nobody’s business, hence things that are supposed to be working hardly function.
Peters who was speaking to airport correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Friday, noted that the revenue being generated at the airports was not reflecting in the infrastructure being provided in these airports and that privatization of the airports will serve Nigerians better.
According to him, the security operatives that work at the airport like the police, Airforce, Customs among others are being paid by their parent organisations and wondered why the revenue being generated cannot be properly utilized to fix the right infrastructure.
On the fear of job loss and process of privatization, the OPAL Chief Executive maintained that what is so important in privatization is the ability of the person or group to be able to perform, irrespective of whom they are or the tribe they are from.
“If people are thinking that there will be job loss because of privatization, it means that the Federal Government is paying people for doing nothing at the airports.
“If the airports are privatized, people will still be employed, the management will still employ people to work. Government is to create access for business to thrive, but not to be in business,” he stated.

Corlins Walter