The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government, through its relevant agencies, to fix dysfunctional facilities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
At the plenary on Thursday, the House specifically urged the government to “as a matter of urgency” fix the escalators and lifts at the airports across the country as well as provide more airside buses and conveying belts.
The House also mandated its Committee on Aviation to ensure compliance with the resolution and report back within one month for further legislative action.
According to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria data on flights and passengers, NAIA is the nation’s second busiest airport after the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
A member of the House, Onofiok Luke, had moved a motion of urgent public importance on the Abuja airport, which the lawmakers unanimously adopted.
It was titled ‘Call on the Federal Government to Repair Dysfunctional Facilities and Provide New Infrastructure at the Federal Airports for Efficient Service Delivery to Air Travellers.’
Moving the motion, Luke said, “The House notes the breakdown of facilities or lack or paucity of certain infrastructure in some federal airports in the country, which has caused inconveniences, difficulty and delay to air travellers. The House also notes in particular, the breakdown of the escalator and lift at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, which usually helps in easing the movement of passengers to the departure lounge, thereby forcing passengers to use the staircase.
“The House is disturbed that the dysfunctionality of the escalator and lift operates as a major setback to free movement air travellers and causes serious inconveniences to the elderly and air travellers with disability.”
According to the lawmaker, the insufficiency of airside buses at the Abuja airport in conveying passengers, especially during the peak hours of 10 am to 12noon, and the lack of conveying belt to convey passenger’s bags from checkpoints to the baggage sorting area, are leading to delay in flight departure.
“The House is worried by the hardship occasioned on air travellers by the above-painted circumstances,” he added.
