FG Commended
on Improvements at Nigerian Airports.
(Reported by ThisDay Newspaper on Tuesday, 28th January, 2014)
By Chinedu Eze
The Programme Chairperson of one of the world’s leading capacity building institutes in the United States of America, Empowerment Plus, Prof. Sheila Wall has commended the Federal Government on the infrastructural improvement in the nation’s airports, especially the Murtala Muhammed Internatuonal, Lagos.
Wall also hailed the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah for the remodelling of the Lagos airport, which she said, showed so much improvement compared to the last time she visited Nigeria.
Wall gave the commendations while speaking to journalists in Lagos.
“I am impressed with what I saw in Nigerian airport now compared to what it was seven years ago when I led a team of scholars to Nigeria. I was totally dismayed by the infrastructural deficit of Nigerian airports that I saw seven years ago. The then terminals exposed the disturbing level of total neglect. The navigational facilities were death traps and one of my colleagues described the situation as airspace safety catastrophe,” she said.
Wall, however, described the current state of infrastructure at the airport as a great milestone for the Ministry of Aviation, saying this a complete turnaround.
“I hope the authorities will sustain this level of development in other key sectors of the economy,” she stated.
To attract favourable rating by international community, she said that Nigerian leadership must see the need for operational infrastructures as a road map to address developmental challenges.
Asked to comment on the recent scandal of car purchase involving Oduah, Wall
said, “You know that your people who were benefiting from the deplorable conditions of Nigeria airports will not be happy to welcome this achievement. There must be a premeditated, choreographic and coordinated scripts to derail this good improvement Probably those who have siphoned the money meant for airports upgrade in the past were fighting back and the leadership may end up being smeared. Your Minister of Aviation and her team needed to be commended and not crucified for making a difference. This is a clear indication that Nigerian will get it right with capable hands on deck.”
While urging Nigerian media to promote Nigeria, she said, “You have to promote good things about your country. It is an essential obligation for you as journalists to be balanced, ethical and investigative in your reports. You have to report or write about good things recorded in your country not only bad things. Some of these stories are relied upon by academicians, scholars, researchers and policymakers in presenting the key indicators or position of your country before the international community."
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