The Way & Manner Our Bilateral Air Service Agreements Are Being Handled Are Alarming’

-House of Reps Committee Chairman On Treaties/ Convention, Dayo Bush

Chairman, Federal House of Representatives Committee on Treaties and Convention, Ekundayo Yacoob Bush -Alebioshu speaks on crucial national issues.

THE RECENT MOVE BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO AUDIT AND APPRAISED ALL BILATERAL AIR SERVICE AGREEMENT (BASA) NIGERIA ENTERED INTO WITH SEVERAL COUNTRIES.

Ans – I have always been concerned with the issue of BASA as the chairman of the committee. The way and manner our treaties are being handled are alarming.

Many countries are reviewing their BASA. There is the need to update and not even reviewing them. Unfortunately, the way and manner these treaties are being handled is giving me great concern, especially BASA. BASA contains a lot of things. It helps to guide Aviation industry, ticket pricing, it contained Aircraft size and type, the number of slots and seats are all contained in BASA. And whole lots of more things. And you will agree with me that Nigerians have always cried out on many of these sharp practices; flights out of Nigeria are always far more expensive, compared to the practice in Ghana. If you travel out of Nigeria, you will see, between Europe and many other countries, whether you are going to Asia, North America, wherever you are going, it is always a lovely flight, the Aircraft and services being rendered , modern day Aircrafts are being used. Unfortunately, between Europe and here, it’s a completely different story. I am not happy with the way Nigerians are being treated, the quality of services. It’s been a source of concern more so that the numbers of frequencies, the number of slots are contained in the BASA and a case where local routes are being handed to Foreign Airlines is a case for concern also. It will drive aground these local Airlines from the Aviation industry. And you will agree with me that the average life-span of Local airlines in Nigeria is three years, after three years, they go under. Albraika, etc have gone under due to these unfair practices. It gets you wondering why this is so, a lot of these issues have been attributed to the foreign airlines plying our local routes and they are taking away billions and billions of Naira from the Local aviation industry.

Also, I see that corners are being cut as a result of this and when these are happening, it tells on the standard and safety standards as well which I believed is one of the factors making us see air mishaps in Nigeria.

As a result of this, we decided to move a motion to request for the audit of our BASA and to see if truly we are benefitting from them and steps to take to address this lopsidedness.

SHODDY IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSTITUENCY PROJECTS IN FEDERAL CONSTITUENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

Ans – I completely agree with you that these projects are been shoddily implemented. I have gotten reports upon reports of this poor project delivery. Quite a number of projects we had requested for about two and half years old have not been done. We have a lot of transformers that are outstanding and not been completed. There are some cases that you ask for a project and they deliver something that is even different. We asked for transformers, they delivered street lights and even when they deliver the streetlights, it’s rather un-fortunate that half of the lights have not even worked. And the quality is terrible.
In Magodo area of my Federal Constituency here in Kosofe, within two months of installation of Solar-Powered streetlights, some have been falling off already, some are not even working at all. When you think of amount of money being put into the project, it’s a pity. We have streetlights around Ibironke Crescent and Okunola-Aina in Mende –Maryland, less than two weeks after installation, about a quarter of them are not working at all. So, the people are being shortchanged. Some projects have been abandoned halfway. There are water projects that have been abandoned also. Quite a number of these projects are MDGs and I wonder what the office of MDGs is doing .There are some areas where we asked for streetlights, there are some where we requested for transformers. We are two and half years into this term and project of two years are not being implemented and the quality of the one done is also terrible to say the least. Compared to 2007-2011, we had better projects. I wonder why this terrible situation. It’s not peculiar to my Federal Constituency alone, its everywhere, it’s a general happening.

THE PLANNED BUDGET PRESENTATION BY PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN WHICH IS DRAWING OPPOSITION BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ans – Unfortunately, year in year out, we have always complained about poor budget implementation. It has always been below par, less than 40% implementation. Although the executive arm has always claimed to have achieved 70% implementation level, just look around you and how can implementation be around 70% with these deluges of failed promises, failed projects, failed programmes? You will feel it around you if truly it has achieved 70%.You will see infrastructure, basic amenities, quite a lot of things have not been done. We are also, not happy with this, not because we hate the Executive, but because Nigerians are not getting what we bargained for. Take for example, with 70%, you will see a lot of things happening around you, look at the Lagos –Ibadan Expressway, I wondered how many lives need to be lost before something is done about it. Something is being said to be done about it and we are not seeing something that is being done about it. I am wondering, sometimes between Lagos and Ibadan or between Lagos and Sagamu as a matter of fact, it will take between 5 and 6 hours on a day when Church programme is not even on. We keep saying Church programme is causing it, no no. It’s the deplorable state of this major highway. Accidents here and there on this road. It’s such a pity. We are not here to fight the Executive arm; that is why the constitution recognizes the role of the legislature which is to oversight the executive .This oversight role performs the dual responsibility of checks and balances as well as due process entrenchment as provided by the constitution. But this is not happening, that is why one of my colleagues has raised it on the floor of the House, saying listen, a number of things have been requested and not being done. The SEC was asked not to spend a dime in accordance with the powers conferred on the legislature, yet SEC is functioning without recourse to the Assemble

THE LOUD OVATION THAT GREETED THE TOBACCO CONTROL AND REGULATION BILL WHICH HON. BUSH ALEBIOSU SPONSORED SEEMS TO BE DYING DOWN.

Ans – No. It’s not dying down at all. It has been committed to the joint committees on Judiciary and Health. We have been having discussion and the process will go through the normal channel. We have two bills and a motion referred to the Committee on Health- Tobacco Control Bill and Alcohol Regulatory Bill as well as the motion on Caffeinated Energy drinks and the three will have to go through public hearing and remember that there has been a backlog of assignments assigned to the committee on Health and from the discussion we had with the committee, anytime soon, we will be convening the public hearing and you will hear from us on the journey so far on these public interest bills. At the public hearing, members of the public and critical stakeholders will come forward to make presentations and have their voices heard and opinions collated on the bills.

RISING PROFILE OF APC IN THE POLITICAL EQUATION OF NIGERIA

Ans – The expanding profile of APC in all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria is a reflection of how the people feel, reflection of the mindset of people yearning for real change. What is there to account for since 1999? Is it the infrastructure ,non-implementation of budgets, bad roads, falling standard of living, the acclaimed constant rise of 6% in GDP, yet an average man cannot guarantee three square meals per day. There is so much suffering, hunger and poverty in the land. The fact that there is now a formidable opposition, a stronger opposition that has cast aside personal interests to merge for the sake of the people and ensure that change comes into this beautiful land called Nigeria and put a stop to all this woe of mal-administration by PDP is a good development. It’s workable, it’s achievable. It’s a formula for the enthronement of a better society for Nigerians. It happened in the United Kingdom where two opposition parties came together to defeat the ruling party. It’s a wind of change that is blowing in this country.APC provides that solid platform to realize this hope. It’s a natural occurrence.

DECSRIPTION OF APC NATIONAL LEADER-ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU

Ans – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a master strategist, an enigma of positive thinking, an astute and shrewd political icon of our times. Glad to have worked with him when he was the Governor of Lagos State as his Special Assistant on Housing. I am also, privileged to be in the same political party with this great leader of men, a patriot, selfless and a true leader of leaders.