Stakeholders urge FG to unban international flight in Kano

Tour operators and other stakeholders in the aviation industry have expressed concern over the continued closure of international flight at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, (MAKIA), Kano State.

Besides, the business community was particularly worried the Presidential Task Force (PTF)’s negligence of the implication, especially economic, of the continued shutdown of MAKIA’s international wing.

The stakeholders include Hajj and Umrah Operators Association, Travel Agency Association, Clearing and Forwarding Agents, Customs Licence and Air Flight Agents, Car Hires Association, Hoteliers Association and Sabon Gari and Kanti-Kori Market Association.

Addressing newsmen in Kano yesterday, President of Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Dalhatu Abubakar, argued that the Federal Government had no justification to restrict international flight from Kano, despite the volume of economic activities in the state.

He said Kano business community lost billions of naira in the last four months due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.

MEANWHILE, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has declared that the state will stop electioneering, when the time is ripe, even while observing COVID-19 safety protocols.

This is contrary to speculations that the state would be locked down soon over the spread of COVID-19. He told journalists yesterday at the Yola International Airport, on his return from annual leave, that government had no plan to lock down the state, adding that very soon he would direct the reopening of all state-owned tertiary institutions.

“Adamawa State is among the states that opened schools this week; that is enough to tell the people of the state that there will be nothing like lockdown in the state,” he said.

He, however, directed that COVID-19 protocols must be observed in schools, markets and other public gatherings, and that shop-owners should not attend to customers without face mask.

The governor, who stated that all the government schools were fully equipped in line with COVID-19 protocols, also directed private schools owners to do so, to protect both the students and staff from the pandemic.

Fintiri declared 2021 as a year of speedy and massive infrastructure development, pointing out that his administration’s zero tolerance for failure.

While placing ban on political rallies in the state, the governor said that the country was facing serious challenges that require patriotic Nigerians to reflect on the situation and advise government on the way forward, instead of embarking on premature political rallies when the elections were still two years ahead.

But he added that when the time comes for politics, “government will design templates that can be in line with the COVID-19 protocols, if the pandemic still persists at the time of electioneering.”