By Okey Ndiribe

ABUJA—The Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka, yesterday warned that any airport manager who was not ready to serve the public should be ready for sack.

The minister, who issued the warning at a meeting he held with managers of the nation’s airports in Abuja, further stated that the meeting was an important step in the ministry’s efforts to improve operations at the nations’ airports.

He said:  “The meeting   is important because despite all the span of   authorities   from the minister to the permanent secretary and the MD, the critical person on the ground is the airport manager”.

Chidoka explained that he initiated the meeting to interact with them on a one-on-one basis and to share his vision of the airport with them, listen to their complaints, challenges and ensure a performance-based management system.

“This meeting is designed to achieve the critical objective of ensuring that our airports are secured for passengers so that they can travel in comfort; so that minimum standards are maintained at the airports and that those who use the airports will also feel the impact of the work of the airports managers.

“This will also lead to documenting sufficiently the expectation of each airport manager and to measure the output of the airport manager and what he has committed towards achieving it.

“ It will require us to create common minimum standards across all the airports and to ensure that each manager maintains that minimum standard. It will also mean that the airport managers will have a mindset change from being airport managers to become service deliverers,” the minister said.