By Raphael Ekpang
House of Representatives Committee on Aviation led by Honourable Nnolim Nnaji has established that the houses being demolished by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) in Runview Ajao Estate in Lagos were indeed within the red zone.
The Committee after it public hearing on the demolition exercise on Wednesday, sent a fact-finding team headed by Honourable Ifeanyi Chudi Momah to visit the site on Friday in Lagos.
Honourable Momah who was conducted along with his five-man team to inspect Runview demolition site by the Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu affirmed that the structures some of which were on top of aviation fuel pipelines and canal posed great danger to flight operations.
The team only expressed surprise that the authority’s management waited till some of the houses were fully built and occupied before taking the action.
However quite a number of the plots within the red zones were either at the foundation or a little above foundation levels while others were just erected shanties.
The Managing Director of FAAN after conducting the members round, invited the representatives of the estate, Chief Azuzu Okoro who is the residents association chairman and Dr Fidelis Ugwegbu who co-chaired the joint revalidation team to address the fact-finding team.
Dr Ugwuegbo who spoke on behalf of the residents association appreciated the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation for the interest shown on the matter.
He acknowledged that the notice of the demolition was served on the owners of the properties sharing fence with the airport’s perimeter fence way back in 2015.
Dr Ugwuegbu also disclosed that after the revalidation exercise was completed, all those whose plots were within the red zone were properly advised not proceed with erecting structures adding that some of them heeded but others ignored the advice and went ahead.
