Amaechi Cautions Against Low Viable Airport Projects Across The States

Rotimi Amaechi

MINISTER of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has advised the state governors across the country against executing airport projects that are not economically viable in their various states stating that such projects that are capital intensive should be embarked on based on necessities rather the social trend of building airports.

The minister made this remark in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital during his assessment tour on some the federal projects within the jurisdiction of his ministry adding that it was not enough to embark on projects without measuring the economic viability of such projects.
He noted that the principal objective of governance is to improve the welfare of the masses and therefore will be out of place to utilize the insufficient fund in embarking on projects that are mostly used by the few privileged ones in the society.

In his advice, he ardently noted that the money that will be used to finance the projects could judiciously be utilized to improve the standard of living in the state rather than the trend of executing airports all over which are rarely used.

 “I believe that the construction of airports should be backed by the growth of the economy. There are some airports that are constructed just for the governors to land and take off. That won’t be the idea for me as minister of transportation.

“I’d prefer that all airports that are constructed would be backed by economic demand. And, when we look at the number, if the numbers add up…We will not discourage Ogun State if you like to construct an airport, but, we would like to advise that they should look at the economics of an airport. Governors should focus on those things that would improve on the lives of the poor, not the rich. It’s the rich people that fly plane. How many poor people know where airport is, not to talk of flying in an aircraft?” the minister asked.