The House of Representatives has expressed displeasure over the dilapidated state of airports in the country.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Mr Nnolim Nnaji, during a hearing with the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt Rabiu Yadudu, expressed displeasure that the situation has persisted over a long period of time.
Mr Nnaji said escalators and lifts are not functioning in most of the airports, while air-conditioning system have leakages as well as non functioning scanners.
The committee also queried FAAN over the demolition of houses said to be on airport land in Lagos.
“Part of our concern is the demolition going on in Lagos. You know we speak for the people so whatever concerns people affects us. That is why we decided to call you to find out what is going on in Lagos. We are not against any exercise but we really want to know what is going on there.”
The Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt Rabiu Yadudu, said they have spent the past months trying to fix some of the problems, lamenting that some of the escalators came with the airport and have been here for almost 40 years.
On the demolition, he said they had frequently engaged with residents of the communities located on the airport land about the dangers of staying there.
According to him, various committees set up by FAAN on the issue have always engaged the stakeholders and met severally with the residents of the estate bringing to the residents the danger of staying in airport land.
Reporting by Ibrahim Shehu; Editing by Adeniyi Bakare and Julian Osamoto