Latest on Strike;Government lost Billions #savenigeria

The Federal Government lost billions of naira at the Lagos ports yesterday, just as airlines counted their losses following the sit-at-home order given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Civil Society groups over the increase in the pump price of petrol.

These developments came on a day the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said its airspace was not closed as some airlines carried out flights on both domestic and international routes.

But some Presidency officials who returned from South Africa were stranded at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

In a related development, when The Nation visited the Tin-Can and Apapa ports yesterday, there was no commercial activity.

 Although the gates to the Tin-Can and Apapa ports were  manned by joint security operatives, which included Customs, Police, State Security Services and other security agents, importers and their clearing agents deserted the ports.

Senior Customs officers, who spoke with The Nation under the condition of anonymity,s said Tin-Can port alone generates between N900 million and N1 billion  daily.

The situation was the same at the Apapa port. All the terminals at the ports were deserted by importers and their agents.

A senior government official and one of the senior managers of one of the terminal who do not want their names in print said the Federal Government would have lost over N5billion at Apapa and Tin-can ports due to the strike. 

However, most senior officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), including its Managing Director, Omar Suleiman were at work when The Nation visited their Marina office in Lagos.

Airlines that are counting their losses include Aero Airlines, Air Nigeria, Chanchangi Airlines, IRS Airlines, Dana Air, Associated Aviation, Overland Airways and others, which on the average operate about 200 flights daily which amount to hundreds of millions of naira for scheduled passenger and cargo operations.

Arik Air alone lost over hundreds of millions of naira, as it operates over 150 flights within Nigeria and the West African coast. Others that operate to the West African Coast, including Air Nigeria, also lost hundreds of millions of naira. Aero Airlines also lost substantial revenue accruing from its domestic and regional flights.

Among the aviation agencies that lost revenue are the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), which collect hundreds of millions from the operations of airlines in 22 airports across the country, as well as other operations from the concessions in cargo, access toll gate charges and other activities at airports across the country. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) also lost significant revenue, which would have accrued from its five per cent statutory share of all tickets sold in Nigeria for both domestic and international operations.

Many car hire operators, hotels, ancillary service providers including passenger and cargo handling companies also lost revenue from the flights that did not operate.

 Meanwhile, business activities at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos remain low, as few international airlines operated flights.

 Some in-bound international flights including British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, South African Airways, KLM, and others are expected to arrive later in the day.