This was the submission of Captain Ibrahim Mshelia, Chief executive Director WestLink Airlines and gubernatorial aspirant in Borno State under the Labour Party.
Speaking at the 10th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the National Union of Air a Transport Employees NUATE in Asaba Delta State, Captain Mshelia noted that PPP had not worked in the country largely due lack of transparency and the agreements skewed in Favour of one party.
He cited the PPP agreements with Maevis and the Bicourtney Aviation Services manager of the MM2 that had generated a lot of controversies.
Mshelia explained that Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement involves the private sector in aspects of the provision of infrastructure assets and or Services, new or existing that have traditionally been provided by the government.
“Through such private engagements, governments broaden their options for delivering better services to its people and increase the economic multiplier effects while the private sector provides finance and expertise to ease fiscal constraints and increase efficiency”
In Captain Mshelia’s words, “On the surface, this is a very lofty idea. If done transparently, we all should encourage it because that is the modern practice in all fast growing economies across the world. ”
“However, the PPP seems not to be walking on the fast lane in the Nigerian aviation sector. This is largely due to shoddy and lopsided packages that oftentimes constitute grave and lethal therapy for the growth of the sector. ”
“Examples fresh in our minds today are the controversies that bedevil the Maevis and Bicortney contracts. There is no gain saying that the sector can only succeed in the drive towards PPP when we have a government that is answerable to the people in place. ”
On the forth-coming elections in 2019, Mshelia urged the unions to start making preparations to make their umbrella party, the Labour Party (LP) great by working to install a responsive, responsible, intellectual and worker friendly government, stating that’s why he entered the fray for Borno State Governorship.
He said,”The upcoming election is around the corner. We need to begin to mark out plans and back them with actions to ensure we grow our own party, the Labour Party (LP), to relevance, so that through that platform we can install a government that will be responsive, responsible and workers friendly. ”
“Sequel to this drive, I want to implore that as we are looking unto NUATE to turn out a new set of leaders to pilot the affairs of the aviation workers for another four years from this assembly, we must not also loose focus on the ultimate goal of installing our own government and marshal our programs towards that target.”
“Some of us have already begun the move by taking the bold step to creating the change that we all desire. I am happy to inform you, as my first constituency, that I will be contesting to be the Executive Governor of Borno State under our party, the Labour Party come 2019.”
