…FEC resolution deviates from due process
The House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled plans to investigate ongoing plans by the Federal Government to concession the nation’s airports.
The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Kama Nkemkanma, who solicited for the House intervention.
In his lead debate, Hon. Nkemkanma observed that the most viable airports in our country were commissioned to foreign firms through Federal Executive Council resolutions that deviated from due process, public accountability, and established laws of the land.
“The House is alarmed that the eventual outcome of the opaque concession exercise is the enrichment of a few unpatriotic Nigerians and their foreign cohorts at the detriment of Nigerians and the eventual enslavement of these public infrastructures to foreigners for many decades.
“The House recalls that our major airports in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano have remained by consistently subjects of controversies due to entrenched personal interests that have undermined the laws of the land, irrespective of the occasional efforts of our anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission.
“The House laments that the myopic personal interests of these economic vampires have relegated our so called international airports to mere airstrip status after almost seven decades in the industry, and can never be compared with global renowned airports such as Heathrow, Dubai, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Qatar, Vancouver, and others.
“The House is disturbed that even on the African continent, where one out of every six Africans is a Nigerian population -wise, the South African pairs of Tambo-Johannesburg and Cape Town, Cairo, Casablanca-Morocco and Houari Boumediene in Algeria, have all outpaced Nigeria and we also lag behind South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopian Airlines.
“The House is worried that our national historical public policy journey from indigenization, Commercialisation, Privatisation, Public partnerships, concessions, and others has fetched us nothing rather than monumental embarrassment, massive corruption, and controversies in the Aviation and other sectors.
“The House is disturbed that Nigerian population dominates the African Continent, with South African cities outperforming Nigerian owed, while Kenya and Ethiopian Airlines trail behind;
Worried that the National public policy journey has led to embarrassment, corruption, and controversies in aviation and other sectors.
“The House is aware that the National Assembly Acts regulate, control, and manage corporations and agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority Act, Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission Act, Public Procurement Act, and Fiscal Responsibility Act.
“The House submits that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), empowers the National Assembly to control the economy, ensuring social justice, equality, and opportunity for citizens.
“The House is cognizant that Nigerians are currently facing job loss and future generation’s economic hardship due to the airport concession policy;
Concludes that the constitutional oversight role of this House involves exposing corruption, inefficiency and waste in laws and correcting defects as per 1999 Constitution of Nigeria,” he noted.
To this end, the House resolved to set-up an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the Nigerian Airport concessions and report back within three weeks for further legislative action.
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