By Godfree Matthew

Introduction

Recently, the naming of some airports after certain individuals by President Tinubu has generated a lot of concerns in some quarters of the nation. This ranged from the fact that some of the persons named after those airports have no historical or cultural connections with those communities where the airports are located. Also, some of the persons named are villains in the theater of democracy, whose leadership track records has put Nigeria in negative indexes and sorrowful statistics. Again, some of the persons immortalized have not made any contributions to the political or economic development of the areas where the airports are located. For this reason, one may be prompted to ask what is the inspiration behind the christening of airports after certain individuals with no political or economic contribution to the history of that community? Is the christening of airports after such persons justifiable in the eyes of law, history and morality? In this article, the readers will be advert to the legal, historical and moral views on whether this political action by President Tinubu has some justifications.

Legality of the Naming of the Airports

Flowing from the above, the first question to ask is whether Tinubu has the legal justification to name those airports after the persons of his choice? This can be answered by appreciating the laws that regulates airports in Nigeria. Ideally, the specific legislation that ought to regulate the naming of airport in Nigeria is the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Act, 1996 (Hereinafter known as FAAN). However, that law is silent about naming of an airport, rather in section 3(a) it provides that the principal functions of the FAAN shall be:

To develop, provide and maintain at airports and within the Nigerian Airspace all necessary and services and facilities for the safe, orderly, expeditious and economic operation of air transport, and,
Generally, to create conditions for the development in the most economic and efficient manner of air transport services connected with it.
The above provision of the law clearly implies naming an airport is not within the administrative power of FAAN. Now since the law is silent on who can named an airport, President Tinubu can use his executive power given him by the constitution to exclusively name the airports as he wishes without any check by the legislature. But even if the law favours President Tinubu, does history favours him too? One of the main reasons for naming airports after persons is their connections of the persons named with the location of the airports.

The Historicity of the Naming of Airports

The naming of individuals after certain properties or monuments must show connections of those persons with that community within the context of historical reality. Some of the persons whose named were immortalized via the airports, if there are alive will not honoured the gestures of offered to them because of their honesty and integrity. This because they know that they don’t have the historical qualification to have their names identified with properties in such locations. One of such persons that many Nigerians can vouch for his integrity and self-discipline towards acquiring title by supplanting others is Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo. If Awolowo is alive today, he might not honour the naming of Port-Harcourt airport after him. This is because he knows that there are some of his contemporaries from that region that deserved to have that airport named after them. Awolowo’s words of wisdom are his Living Will to Nigerians on fairness and equity. Awolowo believe in the promotion of the political rights of the minority groups in Nigeria. In one of his political speech, in 1978, Awolowo said,”

I look forward to the day –not in the far distant future –when an Ijaw would be the President of Our Republic, and Berom his vice or vice versa.”

Pa Awo’s prophecy became reified when Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became a president of Nigeria. The remaining part of Awolowo’s prediction that is loading towards fulfillment, is the Berom version. At the time of that political prognostication, Ijaws were in Rivers state, a political entity that Awolowo advocated for their equal representation and fairness in Nigeria polity. In expressing his happiness on creation of more states for Minorities, Awolowo remarked that:

The Creation of the Mid-West State will be the beginning of a journey which may be short or long but which will irresistibly bring Nigeria to the goal of true federalism and more states, and individual freedom and happiness for all our people.

Going by the words of Awolowo on justice and fairness towards Minorities, if he is alive, he might turn down this offer by Tinubu. Instead, in his typical altruistic inclination, Awolowo, will ask Tinubu to turn Port-Harcourt airport into the ‘Heathrow of Africa’, instead of naming it after him.

Another interesting personality in this saga of airport christening is Uthman Dan Fodio. This renowned Islamic scholar and political genius did not make history simply because of political and military knacks, but on virtues. Some of the renowned virtues he is known for include justice, integrity and honesty. One of his famous quotes was that a society may endure with unbelief, but it may not endured injustice. Perhaps, if Othman Dan Fodio is alive today, he might not have honoured the airport named after him for two reasons. The first reason is that Nigerian politicians offering him that gift of immortalization are totally at odd with his teachings. To him receiving such gives is akin to eating oily yam porridge in a white garment, to which stain is inevitable. This will stain the puritanical Islam he fought for.

The second reason is that Dan Fodio’s integrity and honesty might not allow him to honour such gesture of naming airport after him. This is simply based on the fact that he did not have any historical connections or contribution to Nassarawa. As such he might not accept a gift he did not toil for. It is like earning money for the work not done. What is the historical connection Between Dan Fodio and Nassarawa State? From his birth (1754), historical campaign (1804-1811) and his death (1817) Dan Fodio, he never saw a political entity called Nassarawa.

Historical sources (Britannica, 2023, Toyin Falola, 2007) have it that the polity Nassarawa was founded by Umaru around 1838 in the territory of Afao Tribe. Umaru, then expanded his Kingdom by conquering some tribes and made Nassarawa vassal state to Zaria. While Umaru was forming alliance of vassalhood with Emir of Zazzau, other tribes like Eggon, Alago, Rindere, and Miggili were under the confederacy of the Kwarrafa Kingdom ( Agbo J.O, 1984 ,David Umbagala, 2021 and Adeyemi Olajide2022).

Based on the above on historical discourse, it can be deduced that the naming of Nassarawa Airport after Dan Fodio has no historical nexus. If historical connections and antecedents are factors to consider, Umaru, would have been a proper person than Dan Fodio , to have the Lafia airport named after him. Or may be why not named the Lafia Airport, Queen Amina Airport since Umaru owed allegiance to the Zazzau Emirate? Again, are Nassarawa people in short of indigenous heroes that they have to import ‘alien’ heroes to be immortalized in their land? Are there no Nassarawa historical figures that qualify for such immortalization by Governor Abdullahi Sule? Why was Dan Fodio not immortalized in Sokoto airports or any of the States he actually conquered? Naming Lafia airport after Dan Fodio to the negation of cultural heritage of the indigenes of Nassarawa state is not historical justice. This contravenes indigenous right of the Nassarawa State people under the United Nation Convention on the Right of Indigenous People, 2007. Article 13 (1) of the Convention states that:

Indigenous people have the rights to revitalize , use , developed and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral tradition, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and TO DESIGNATE THEIR OWN NAMES FOR COMMUNITIES, PLACES AND PERSONS.

From the above law, indigenous people of Nassarawa State have the right to designate their own names for communities, places and persons. The last words ‘places and persons’, in article 13(1), is apt to the context of this discourse. This is because by this law the name of Lafia Airport have indigenous root. The indigenes have the rights to designate the names of properties in their domain. As such Mr president ought to consider that historical imports when naming such Airport. Having an airport named after Uthman Dan Fodio who is not indigenous of Nassarawa is travesty of historical justice and betrayal of the trust of the people.

The Morality of the Naming of Airports After Certain Persons

Furthermore, the criteria adopted in naming these airports after certain persons is not objective. It is from prism that these that the moral compass of this article takes a direction. Moral justice refers to the tendency of treating people equally and fairly without prejudice. Can it be said that the moral justice has been done in naming these airports after certain persons? The answer to this question is simply no. This response is premised on the following questions: (a) Must all our airports be christened after politicians and military leaders? Are politicians the only heroes that contributed to national development to warrant immortalizing them with airports? What about Nigerian scholars and scientists of national and international reputes? Again, in sport Nigeria named Stadiums after heroes like Teslim Balogun and Adokiye Amiesimaka based on their professional contributions to football. The question now is which airport do we named after Nigerian Pilots and Aviators? Or are we saying that our Pilots and aviators are not qualified to have airports named after them?

Let’s believe that, perhaps, politicians are more patriotic than other professionals. Then let’s narrow it to this question, are there no women politicians in Nigeria who qualify to have an airport named after them? Out of the over 30 airports in Nigeria, only Calabar airport is named after Margaret Ekpo, thanks to late President Shehu Shagari. It is quiet unfortunate that in this 21st Century, Nigeria leaders still lagged behind in affirmative action that democracy propagates.

In other climes, patriarchal politicians don’t have exclusive monopoly of naming airports after them. Even legendary Robin Hood have a Doncaster Sheffield Airport named after him in England (Thus, this is not an invitation to name an airport after Lawrence Anini). Louis Armstrong and John Lenon have Airports named after them in the cities of New Orleans ( US) and Liverpool (UK). The same with scientist Charles Darwin, an airport is named after him.

In Pilot’s categories, there is Charles Linbergh Field airport (San Diego).Worst of it, even Nigerian Airforce don’t have any of their Heroes, having an airport name in their honor. While in US you have Mitchell international Airport in Milwaukee and O’ Hare International Airport in Chicago, named after U.S Airforce veteran. What Airport have we named after Nigeria Airforce Officers , death or Alive?

Women Pilots and politicians have Airports named after them such as Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Turkey, Mother Theresa Airport in Albania and Indira Ghandi Airports in India. The list goes on, and interestingly, only one of these Airports is regional i.e Queen Tamar Airport, Georgia; all the rest are international airports.

Another interesting moral question is the naming of Airports after Muhammudu Buhari. Buhari’s regime from 2015-2023 was disastrous to Nigerians. Nigerian Masses, irrespective of tribe and religions, were united in removing Jonathan Goodluck and bringing Buhari into power as Mr ‘Incorruptible Judge’. However, when Buhari came into power he succeeded in dividing Nigerians along religious, tribal and ethnic divides in his administrations. But before he left office, he succeeded again, in uniting all Nigerians in poverty, insecurity, hunger and backwardness.

President Tinubu was in a haste to name an airport after Buhari. This is because Buhari’s regime was a menace that Nigerians are yet to recover from. Naming Airport after Buhari is unpleasant news to the sanity of some Nigerians. It is like Egyptians experiencing the second repetition of 10 plagues under Pharaoh. Under Buhari’s Watch, one of the fraudulent acts in the history of Nigerian aviation occurred. An Ethiopian Airline was fraudulently packaged as Nigerian Airline and publicly paraded in global show of ignoniminy by the Minister of aviation Hadi Sirika. Yet, Mr President found it just to name an Airport after Buhari? This is just like naming a street in Paradise after Lucifer.

What will the airport named after Buhari reflect on the minds of Nigerians? Is it to remind them of the era of killings, bandtry, educational neglect, bigotry, ethnic nationalism and religious fanaticism? That Airport will be like an Austichz Camp to the psyche of Nigerians. Some Nigerians will not mine if the railway from Daura to Niger was named after him, but naming an airport after President Buhari is weighty garland too heavy for his neck to carry.

Conclusion

The aim of this article is not to ask Mr President to immortalize every hero/heroine by naming airports after them. It is however, needful for him to consult the Historical Society of Nigeria, or other similar bodies for proper guidance. This is because sensitive cultural issues of significance should not be compromise on the altar of political patronage and fraternity. This may affect the national cohesion and nation-building Nigerians are striving to sustain as a nation. Lastly, we do not appease the death by naming monuments after them, for the deaths have no feelings or emotions connected with the affairs of the living. We appeased the death when we lived by the dictates of their teachings, philosophies and exemplary lives. A post-humous birthday gift to late parents, is not a substitute to carrying out their legacies.