….says, agencies of Govt have raised red flags on Nigeria Air and concession projects
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has frown on the state of lifts at the Abuja airport describing them as substandard.
This is just as the minister says, he will concentrate on ensuring airports in Nigeria have the three basic things Nigerians need at Airports namely, the carousels or conveyor belts, the chillers or air conditioners and lifts or escalators.
During an inspection tour of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja today, Keyamo said, the lifts would have to be replaced with quality and good brands for Nigerians to enjoy their arrivals.
He noted that, no funds would be spent again fixing obsolete lifts that break down every two months and had directed that such lifts should be done away with, adding that, they would rush through an emergency procurement to get new ones that are of good quality.
“Let us buy high quality lifts, the ones I saw here are not good enough, I know about lifts, they are not good enough and I will not be here and they will go and buy substandard lifts again, the ones that can take high traffic and we see them all over the world, lifts are not just what you buy locally, there are good brands all over the world, go to Heathrow you see the lifts working all the time, I told them get rid of these ones, I will not be spending money repairing them every two months, that is my attitude to it. Lets be patient, rush through emergency procurement and buy good lifts for Nigerians to enjoy their arrival, good brands”.
The Minister emphasized that, on any arrival at every airport what passengers want to see are three things, the chillers, a good atmosphere and working lifts but unfortunately, at the Abuja airport he said, only four of the ten chillers were working.
“For those who are tired and the lift and escalator must be working and the third ones are the carousels which are those belts that bring out the bags”.
“Now, on a visit of most of our airports, these are the problems we are facing”.
Still on the Nigeria Air and concession projects, the Minister again announced that apart from stakeholders and many Nigerians who have complained of these projects, certain agencies of government have raised red flags on the projects.
“Agencies of government and I want to tell as you may know later are raising red flags here and there and I will keep quiet, am not talking about people, Nigerians complaining, agencies of government are raising red flags about both projects”.
Keyamo assured that, the next step would be the FG as a body not him as a minister to look at all the reports he is putting before them to take a final decision on it, adding that, no final decision has been taken on all of these.
“Like I said before, lets be responsive to the feelings of Nigerians to the red flags that have been raised by certain agencies of government and then we take a final decision”.
