The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has explained that the relocation of its headquarters from Abuja to Lagos was to curb the waste of scarce government resources.
NATIONAL ECONOMY reports that aviation stakeholders have criticised the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over the relocation of FAAN headquarters, considering it a misplaced priority.
They argued that the minister should be more concerned about infrastructure decay and the provision of quality and efficient facilities than relocating the agency headquarters.
However, in a press statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, titled, “Relocation of FAAN Corporate Headquarters from Abuja to Lagos,” the Authority explained that the Abuja location had no office space to contain the activities of the agency.
In addition, Orah explained that the Minister decided to stop this waste of public resources and rip-off on the public purse, as the Authority would be liable to pay them duty tour allowance because technically they are working out of station as their official posting is to Abuja.
Also, the Minister said that 60% of the activities of the agency are done in Lagos, and it is only appropriate for the headquarters to be in Lagos.
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria notes the inquiries some Nigerians have made regarding the directive of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, to relocate the corporate Headquarters of FAAN from Abuja to its original base, Lagos, where it has operated for decades until recently.
“FAAN wishes to inform Nigerians that following wide consultations by the new Management of FAAN with stakeholders, which also involved the Unions, it was agreed that this was in the best interest of the Authority and the country for now for the following reasons:
“Those affected by the decision to move the headquarters to Abuja have since returned to Lagos as there is no office space for them in Abuja. It was ill-advised in the first place to move the headquarters to Abuja when there was no single FAAN building in Abuja to accommodate all of them at once.
“Having returned to Lagos, the Authority would be liable to pay them DTA (DUTY TOUR ALLOWANCE) because technically they are working OUT OF STATION as their official posting is to ABUJA. The Minister has decided to stop this waste of public resources and rip-off on the public purse.
“The other option open to the Authority was to abandon the old FAAN building in Lagos to rot away and to use its scarce resources to rent an office space in Abuja for Millions of Naira of public money when in actual fact more than sixty percent of its activities are in Lagos given the huge passenger volume of the Lagos airports. The stakeholders and the Minister decided against that and to save the country this waste.”
She further disclosed that Abuja will continue to have full operational offices, and the Authority has not scaled down operations in Abuja.
“The Minister has rolled out plans to get concessionaires to build befitting offices for the Authority in Lagos and Abuja, and until that is done, the Authority will continue to manage its old building in Lagos that can accommodate all its Directors and senior officials for now.
“Abuja continues to have full operational offices, and the Authority has not scaled down operations in Abuja one bit. It is just the technical decision of where the Authority has its ‘corporate headquarters’ that has been taken without affecting the structure of operations as they are for now in both cities.
” In the near future, when befitting corporate buildings have been built for the Authority in both Lagos and Abuja, a final decision will be taken as to the location of the permanent headquarters, depending on the exigencies of the time.”
“The Authority wishes to assure members of the public that it will continue to act in the best interest of the public and the country. The Honourable Minister is committed to taking decisions that are in the best interest of the country, especially as it concerns public funds and will not yield to ethnic or sectional sentiments that will derail this commitment.”
