DESTROYING THE KNOWN FOR THE UNKNOWN AT LAGOS AIRPORT
The immediate past Minister of Aviation ,Hadi Sirika will be remembered for many years to come.Like every actor,he had played his part on the stage.His performances are not likely to vanish from public scrutiny soon.The almost eight years he spent will feature frequently in many gatherings of key stakeholders in the sector where aviation matters are being discussed. One of the things that stands him out,besides Nigeria Air that could not come into reality due to failure to pass through lay down processes, is the demolition of the building housing the former headquarters of the Accident Investigation Bureau(AIB) mow Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau(NSIB) in Lagos and the plan to demolish other gigantic edifices of aviation agencies. They are,Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA),Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA),Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN),their staff residential quarters and recreational facilities and privately owned ones at the Murtala Muhammed Airport In Lagos.All these according to the former Minister is to pave the way to a new project called Aerotropolis. And also to extend the wings of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. It is difficult to convince Nigerians about the sincerity of the intention of the Buhari administration to come up with a new business outfit at the Lagos Airport. More than one year after the AIB building was brought down with its staff relocated to Abuja, the site has not shown there is a new development coming up.It is still lying fallow. There is nothing to indicate that all that Senator Hadi Sirika told avid aviation watchers before the building was brought down have commenced earnestly. But for the shrill voices of the public, the Minister would have gone ahead to carry out his master plans to get rid of other buildings which would have made the areas look like a semi dessert by now. Like a good sales man, the former Minister painted a glowing picture of the proposed Aerotropoli with flowering language..Its numerous advantages such as providing jobs to thousands of people, more business opportunities for investors both local and international entrepreneurs, ancillary services will be abound increased standards of living, more revenue for the government and many more.To him,the Airport surrounding as it is now,does not portray a befitting status on Nigeria.It is not pleasing, not visually delightful to us as citizens of the giant of Africa.Turning the Murtala Muhammed to Aerotropolis will take Nigerian Aviation from the doldrums, he excitedly explained.
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Is Aerotropolis bad? Of course not.The reasons advanced by the former Minister for the project are germane. The methodology of achieving it cannot be totally faultless. The government has been complaining of lean resources. Its means of income are shrinking. The domestic airlines are groaning over the escalating high costs of operations. Many of them are heavily indebted to aviation agencies and fuel marketers. The airlines are major financial contributors to the agencies through charges. However, the demolition did not go beyond the former headquarters of AIB.
The question boggling the minds that is begging for answer is why destroying the known for the unknown? Is there no virgin land belonging to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria that is adequate ly suitable to build new structures for the Aerotropolis? Just few months ago, thirteen buildings that were owned by private individuals were demolished by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria at Ajao Estate in Lagos.The land in which these buildings were erected is the property of FAAN. At Shasha,FAAN has large expanse of land which land speculators have sold to unsuspecting members of the public. They even erected big mansion on it.FAAN took up the case up to the Supreme Court.The apex court ruled in favour of FAAN.No one will raise eyebrow if the government decides to clear these illegal buildings to create space for the aerotropolis.
Moreover there is virgin hectres of forest spanning from Shasha-Orisunbare-Ejigbo-Ajao Estate. Before the fencing,some of the residents in these communities cultivated crops there and occasionally foray into the forest for game hunting. Security experts have and not still relenting advising the authorities to maul down the trees for more effective security coverage of the Lagos Airport and its surroundings. Is the immediate past Minister of Aviation not aware of the existence of this land? It will be an uphill task to convince any one that the man who was calling the shot at the flying ministry for eight years never knew anything about the land that is yet to be put into proper use by the government.
One is in quandary what impelled the ferocity with which the former minister intended to execute the demolition agenda.He paid no attention to voices of well meaning groups in the sector.He was boastful, emphatic that no one could stand his way in his determination to get rid of all the structures that he had earmark to pull down. Is this the most burning issue in the sector at the time?One cannot say he was alone ranger even though he is the head of the ministry. Members of the Aviation committees of the 9th Assembly did not do enough to call the former minister to order.It is difficult to say that they did not get the wind of the plans especially when that of AIB had been brought down. They were on a fact finding mission to Lagos when the 13 buildings at Ajao Estate were demolished.Where were those who surrounded him? Are they charlatans? Or his advisers were just trudging behind him like obedient dogs?
The unexpected may happen.If by any stroke of luck he is reappointed by the Tinubu administration, he may have a second chance to effect corrective steps. .It is believed that the ex-minister,either deliberately or not did not give a careful thought, wide consultations before embarking on the planned aerotropolis programme.At any rate,he is the accountable officer.
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The mission and actions of Hadi Sirika as the fomer aviation minister seemed to me that he’s not a Nigerian citizen but rather from Sirilanka. For almost his eight years in office, he’s not interested in the stability of the aviation industry but to distablise the industry.