Hundreds of Nigerian airports car hire operators are still waiting for their ‘palliatives’ two weeks after the disbursement of the fund started.
The federal government had released a N5 billion aviation industry grant for airlines, ground handling firms, caterers and other allied aviation service providers. The airlines got N4bn, while the other section shared N1bn, with the Airport Car Hire Association of Nigeria (ACHAN) getting N100 million.
Last weekend, a lot of the operators confirmed they have received N45,000 about two weeks ago, but there scores of others who had filled the forms but yet benefit from the palliative.
Some of these affected operators said they were beginning to get anxious and not certain if they will still receive their share of the grant.
ACHAN had informed registered members to fill forms with over 2,000 of them complying. However as at Sunday, it was learnt that only a fraction of the airport car hire operators have benefitted.
“I filled a form and I made sure my account details were correctly written but as I am talking to you, I have not received an alert.
“Some of our colleagues have received but I don’t know what is happening. Again, many people could not even get the form and we don’t know what is happening with the payment because it is over two weeks already,” one of the affected operators said.
- Only ACHAN members benefitted
Alfred Odion who operates at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2) in Lagos said only ACHAN members benefited from the palliative while other executive airport cab operators were exempted.
“We also applied but we are yet to get anything and all of us were at home during the COVID-19 lockdown doing nothing but I don’t know why the government is being selective,” he said.
A former chairman of the Association of Airport Limousine Bus Operator (ALBO), Mr. Tijani Jelili, also said bus operators were excluded from the palliative.
“I can tell you we have not collected a dime. They didn’t even give us the form which those who have benefitted filled.”
On his part, Chairman of ACHAN at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Mr. Afolabi Soele, said most of their members have benefitted as he thanked the government for disbursing the fund.
“I have been at the airport for the past 44 years, I have never seen this kind of thing. It’s a good beginning.”
