The President of the Coalition of South-South Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, (FOSSCCIMA), Prince Billy Gillis-Harry, has urged the Federal Government to be very transparent on the issue of airport concessioning.
Gillis-harry who was speaking to Aviation Correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, while reacting to the recent committee set up by the Federal Government to fast – track the implementation of concessioning, said that airports that are transparently concessioned will increase air traffic.
He said that the issue of airports concessioning is very valid, at this time of our development, but that it should be done transparently.
“I believe that the airport concessionaires will be looking forward to have increased air traffic, cleanliness and efficiency and attractive airports to the extent that Nigeria will be seen as a hub in air travel in West Africa.
“Airports all over the world that really have achievements and focus are really being run by local governments and not by Federal or State government.
“Third party interest like the Chambers of Commerce should also be involved to ensure that there is transparency. The Chambers of Commerce have a role to play to ensure that the companies involved are existing”, he stated.
Harry debunked the fear that the concessioning will drastically reduce employment, but posited that it will open doors for employment, even though technology will be employed in some cases.
According to him, the private investors will create other services that will require direct human to human contact, even through there may not be direct employment, and this will be a crentre of job creation.
“In a well run airport, we need human to human contact service like the public relations, Hotel services, cargo handling cleaning among others which automation will not do”, he said.

Corlins Walter