The Senate on Thursday moved against the concessioning of all airports in the country by former President Muhammadu Buhari for “peanut” as the angry lawmakers resolved to launch investigation into the process.
The decision of the Senate was sequel to the motion sponsored by Senator Suleiman Kawu, who noted that the concessioning occurred less than six days to the expiration of Buhari’s administration.
Kawu informed the lawmakers that the Federal Ministry of Aviation lacks the power to concession the airport.
He said the power to do so is domiciled with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria.
Many senators who spoke across parties line expressed dissatisfaction with the way and manner the concessioning was carried out.
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Senator Adamu Ailero, who seconded the motion, and Senator Ali Ndume condemned the last administration’s Federal Executive Council for failing to do due diligence before concessioning all the country’s airports.
Ailero said that the concessioning was hurriedly done towards the end of Buhari’s administration, adding that it was done in a dubious manner
Some of the Airports concessioned were Malam Aminu Kano Airport, Kano; Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Enugu; Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos; and Port Harcourt Airport, Rivers State.
In his remarks, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jubril Barau, who presided over the plenary session, applauded the sponsor of the motion, Senator Kawu, for bringing the issue to the attention of the Senate.
Barau added that there was not wrong in concessioning because that what is being done across the globe, citing the concessioning of Heathrow Airport, which is being managed by a Nigerian in the United Kingdom, but that the process must be transparent.
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