Chairman, House of Representatives, Committee on Aviation
The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation has urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to devote 70% of its investment on provision of critical aeronautical infrastructure for the aviation industry.
This, the national Assembly reasoned would improve security and safety at the nation’s airports.
The lawmakers also implored management of the aviation agency to prepare for the future by saving for rainy days to prevent the reoccurrence of what o Covid-19 pandemic brought on it.
The parliamentarians insisted that a situation whereby an agency with the financial status of FAAN got trapped in with the challenges of funds and meeting other obligations calls for serious concerns.
In his speech at a short reception for the Honourable members before embarking on oversight tour of facilities at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji promised the protection of the interest of Aviation industry in the parliament.
Nnaji added that the provisions of the new aviation industry bill before the house, when passed, would be friendly to both staff of the agency, the industry as well as airline operators even as he affirmed that without the airlines, there will be no FAAN and verse versa.
Nnolim said “l believe that whatever investment FAAN will do, they should put 70% of the investment in providing infrastructure. That is the path we should tow now.
You have to to find how to put up a strategy on how to focus on safety and security of the airports. The airport terminals can be containerized. What is important for airlines operators is to land in a safe airport with good security, good runways, airfields lightening, operational and and perimeter fences that guarantee the safety and insurance of their aircraft.”
Speaking on the effects of the recent Covid-19 pandemic in the operations of FAAN, the lawmaker explained that ” the essence of preparing for the future just happened to us. Let your future begins today. You have to prepare for any situation, nobody expected this kind of situation we find ourselves but it is a lesson to all of us that we have to prepare for any eventuality and in doing so we need to go into aggressive infrastructure development in areas of non-aeronautical aspects of the industry”
While promising to support the industry with necessary legislation, the lawmakers said the house will push for the retention of the 25% remittance FAAN pay into the consolidated account of the federation to enable it put in place a ten year developmental plan and use the funds to build critical infrastructure for the aviation industry.
Members of the committee were taken round inspect the new International terminal building, the taxiway under rehabilitation, agro cargo terminal and a road under construction at the Lagos Airport.
