THE chairman of the board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Abdullahi Ganduje, has lamented a high rate of abandoned projects at the nation’s Airports.
Speaking in Lagos after the tour of the Lagos Airports on Tuesday, Ganduje, who stated that some equipment at the airports is now obsolete due to improved technology, further lamented the high cost of completing the projects due to inflation.
According to him, all the abandoned projects were awarded by the past administration, but the current administration will find a way out of the debacle.
“Some of the challenges, according to them and according to what we have seen, are the challenges of abundant projects awarded many years ago, not awarded by the present management, but many years ago, prices of cost have gone high.
“Also, some equipment originally put in place is now obsolete according to modern technology, but they have designed a way to resolve all such issues. Also financing because some of these abandoned projects, but they are sorting them out to see how we can scale some and make better use of them,” Ganduje, the former governor of Kano State stated
Ganduje who is also the current national chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), however, charged the management of the authority not to stop improving the system.
“We have seen some facilities, we have seen some types of equipment, we have seen some appliances, and we have also seen the environment, and we have also taken note of the challenges, as explained by the MD in the morning session.
“So my impression is that the agency is blessed with competent managing directors and also the directors, because I have seen a sign of motivation, a sign of seriousness and a sign of achievement, motive, as far as they are concerned. They have laid a very good foundation, and I’ve been appealing to them so that we can continue and improve what they have done so far,”
Speaking earlier, the managing director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, said the authority is replacing security equipment at the nation’s airports.
The NPA MD stated that the authority is engaging in terminal rehabilitation, passenger facilitation and not just the environment cleanliness, revamping the VIP facilities.
“About two days ago, we started the process of replacing our security equipment. We have now introduced several explosive detection devices, which would, of course, help make sure that our environment is safe and secure as we move people out. That’s a project that is happening across the nation.
“I also mentioned the fact that a lot of the terminal rehabilitation work that we have started to do, some of those are now coming on board and stream, so look out for more in the next coming months, and then the next quarter, really around large infrastructure development projects that we’re looking at as well something exciting coming on board with both in Lagos Abuja airports.
“I’m sure that you’ve seen a lot of the renovation work that we’re doing for our facilities, especially those for passengers with disabilities, and of course, passengers generally, in terms of passenger facilitation and not just the environment, the cleanliness, I’m just totally revamping the VIP facilities as well that we’re revamping,” Kuku stated.