Airports must be efficiently managed – Reps committee chairman

The chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba, said the nation’s airports are national assets that must be managed efficiently to avoid unmitigated damages.

Airports, he said, should be handled by experts for the purpose of safety and economic development.

He stated this while addressing the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development officials during an investigative hearing on Thursday in Abuja.

The officials made themselves available for a joint audit investigative session on enhancing accountability and competence at Nigerian airports.

The investigative hearing was sequel to the resolutions passed by the House in plenary on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, where the lower legislative chamber wanted to ascertain the competency of the nation’s airports.

The lawmaker said: “Airports are a critical security zone that requires that personnel and contract staff working there be qualified and competent to ensure the safety of equipment and all users of the gateways both locally and internationally.

“As parliament, we are worried about the functionality of the infrastructure and all the technical equipment available in all the country’s airports.”

He stressed that legislators are ready to work with the executive to ensure that what is necessary will be done to ensure that standards are maintained in the industry.

The chairman urged the minister, Festus Keyamo, and heads of agencies and units under the ministry to be frank in their submissions to the lawmakers for further legislative attention.