Nigerian Senate has condemned in strong terms the concessioning of the Mallam Aminu Kano International airport in Kano and the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport Abuja, insisting that the thirty years lease of the airports was not done in public interest.
Senate also urged the federal government to review the entire concessioning exercise by the federal ministry of aviation to an American consortium which it said, violates the laws that places ownership of the airports in the hands of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria FAAN.
The condemnation of the airports concessioning followed a motion by Senator Suleiman Kawu Sumaila who lamented that the $1.5 million dollars down payment by the consortium, is a far cry from the annual revenue of $97.4 million dollars generated at the airport.
In another development, the Senate called on the federal government to immediately begin remedial work on the massive gully erosion that has ravaged twelve communities in Ideato North and South Local Government Areas in Imo state, eastern Nigeria.
The call followed a motion by Senator Osita Izunaso, and received overwhelming support by other Senators, as many could easily relate with such experience in other parts of the country.
Flooding menace
Meanwhile, senate has urged the Federal Government to provide special financial intervention to Kogi and other states, to enable them tackle the annual flooding of communities in the state during the rainy season.
Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Sadiku Ohere, said the massive dredging of the water ways that converge in the state will come at a financial cost that cannot be handled by state governments alone.
Senator Ohere believes his motion on the issue of flooding became imperative following lingering cases of the natural disaster which demands proper planning & adequate attention to nip in the bud.
On the issue of recurring building collapse across the country, senate attributed it to poor quality of construction materials especially rods.
Senator Ohere therefore called for the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta steel mill in Kogi state, central Nigeria, in order for Nigerians to begin local production of rods & other quality building materials.
Olusola Akintonde
