The House of Representatives has commenced investigations into the remote and immediate causes of the abandonment of the remodelling of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, by the Federal Government.
The investigation follows a motion brought to the floor of the House by Hon Kingsley Chinda and supported by all members of the House from Rivers State.
In the motion, the House specifically noted with great concern and dismay, the abandonment of work on the remodelling (or rehabilitation) of Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
It also noted that the said Port Harcourt International Airport was of strategic commercial importance not only to the people of Rivers State, but also to other States in the South-South and South-East regions of the country, including Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Abia and Imo States amongst others, and indeed, Nigeria in general.
Presenting the motion, Chinda noted also that “the Federal Government under former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan sometime in 2011, awarded contract for the remodelling of some airports across the country, including the Port Harcourt International Airport; adding, however, that whilst remodelling work was ‘substantially’ completed at Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Sokoto, Yola, Ilorin, Enugu and Owerri airports, for instance, that of Port Harcourt was abandoned and has till date remained ‘under rehabilitation’ at a slower-than-snail-speed rate.
The motion reads, “Aware that the Port Harcourt International Airport is at present in a very poor state; and no concrete work is on-going at the site; air passengers are received in tents, and even the departure halls which is claimed to have been completed is full of structural faults with noticeable cracks on the walls, suspended ceilings and leaking roof, yet the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) collects tolls and other very high charges for entry into and overnight parking at the airport.
“Also aware that budgetary allocations have always been made for the modernisation and re-modelling as well as airports projects maintenance, yet, the proper utilisation of such funds falls short of expectations of teeming Nigerians.
“Further aware that budgetary provisions were made since 2011, including the recently passed 2017 federal budget, for maintenance and re-modelling of airports.
“Worried that social, economic and commercial activities in Rivers State, and indeed, the South-South and South-East parts of the country have been negatively affected as a result of the poor state of the Port Harcourt International Airport.
“Greatly worried that unless urgent steps are taken to resume rehabilitation work on the said Airport, the primary aim for which the contract was awarded would be defeated and the social, economic and commercial lives of the people would be negatively affected and the sum already budgeted and advanced for the project would be frittered away; while the number of Federal Government’s abandoned projects continue to increase”, the motion added.
While deliberating on the motion, the House resolved to “urge the Federal Government to urgently commence and complete rehabilitation work on the Port Harcourt International Airport.”
It also directed that “the House Committees on Transport, Aviation, Anti-Corruption and Public Accounts to investigate all monies released for the upgrading and maintenance of the Port Harcourt International Airport from 2011 to date.”
The House also sought explanations on the reason for the abandonment of rehabilitation work at the airport, with a view to ensuring that same is completed.
It further directed the committees to report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chis Ngige to commence the process of negotiating an upward review of the current minimum wage.
The call was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Rep. Peter Akpatason (Edo-APC), during plenary, yesterday.
Akpatason, in the motion, urged the Federal Government to hearken to calls for a review of the national minimum wage figure to avert the looming nationwide strike action threatened by workers.
“The Minimum Wage Act of 2011 set the lowest payable salary at ¦ 18,000, but the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the National Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and the Federal Government have agreed to set up a joint review team to study and recommend an appropriate rate.
“Labour unions have submitted names of their nominees and have made several requests for commencement of the review process, but government is yet to respond positively to the requests,” he said.
Akpatason, while noting that payments of outstanding debts to contractors and arrears of salaries and pensions to workers had contributed to the reflation of the economy, said that an upward adjustment of the minimum wage would have similar positive effect on the economy.
The lawmaker told his colleagues that a combination of high inflation rates and the weak exchange value of the Naira had eroded the purchasing power of fixed income earners in the country.
“Such fixed income earners are the bread winners to millions of jobless Nigerians and the aged.
“A nationwide strike action embarked upon by workers at this time is capable of rolling back recent economic gains.
“Such strike could return the nation’s fragile economy into recession that will further exacerbate the suffering of the masses,” he explained.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, mandated the Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity to ensure implementation of the directive.
In another development, members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, moved that the alleged deplorable state of the Presidential Villa Clinic should be investigated by the Committee on Health Services and report back within three weeks.
This was sequel to a motion sponsored by Rep Henry Archibong, PDP, Akwa Ibom, entitled: ’Need To Investigate The Deplorable Condition Of The State Clinic And The Alleged Deductions From The Salaries And Allowances Of The Medical Staff’.
The House unanimously voted in support of the investigation as the presiding officer, Speaker Yakubu Dogara put the motion to a voice vote.
However, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has committees with pending bills of about six months to forward to them to “Committee of the Whole’’ within one week.
Dogara gave the ultimatum at plenary, yesterday, and said that it was in line with the rules of the House.
He directed the Committee on Rules and Business ‘to do the needful’ should any committee fail to meet the deadline.
Earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Emmanuel Orker-Jev, had drawn the attention of the House to bills pending consideration at committee level.
He had said that no fewer than 150 “very important bills’’ were lying unattended to, and that some of the bills had been pending for two years.
Orker-Jev said that the rules of the house stated that any bill that remained at the committee level for up to six months should be referred to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.