Mr Edward Adedamola Olarerin, a retired general manager South West of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has appealed to the Authority to always release monthly allocation funds to airports on time to ensure sustenance of administration of the system.
Olarerin, who made this call at a ceremony organized in honour of his retirement from the system said, airports must be given their dues especially the MMIA that generates the revenue.
Emotional Olarerin, in his almost an hour speech on his experience in FAAN, noted that it was frustrating working with some people in the system as a result of lack of dedication, understanding and discipline adding that as an administrator he had to always beg for fund to run the airport.
He said starving airports of funds could be devastating and frustrating which had always led to accumulation of debts from contractors especially casual workers and called for a change for the survival of the system.
According to him, there was a time for the period of six months without revenue allocation as an airport manager to run the airport and it was as if it was the end of the world but openness and transparency kept him going stressing that hard time never last but tough people do.
Olarerin remarked he left MMIA a sad man as a result of what he called unfavourable practices recalling how he was denied fund to evacuate tankers on the airport road that constituted nuisance for years after applying for its release.
He thanked the management and those who supported him while in FAAN and urged the workers to remain loyal, dedicated and resolute in the discharge of their duties adding that hard work and perseverance will always be rewarded.
The retired GM said he has no doubt that the present management under Saleh Dunoma will perform well as a result of his long stay in the system and urged workers to rally round him to succeed.