The Senate had on Tuesday directed the minister to stop the planned demolition of the offices of aviation agencies pending the outcome of the intervention made by its committee.
The Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, has said there is no going back on the planned demolition of the aviation agencies' offices in Lagos.
The Senate had on Tuesday directed the minister to stop the planned demolition of the offices pending the outcome of the intervention made by its committee on aviation.
But, Mr Sirika while reacting to the Senate's directive on Wednesday, insisted that the ministry will go ahead with the demolition because the directive did not come from a court and that government cannot be stopped from giving development to its people.
He claimed that the intention of the aviation ministry was to remove the structure housing the office of the managing director of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other commercial buildings and replace them with hotels, shopping malls, cinemas and other lucrative businesses that will increase revenue of the ministry.
"First of all, let's put it in perspective, the intent of government is to remove the structure housing the office of the managing director of FAAN and those commercial buildings. It's a structure that is made of wood, has been there for 40 years. It has caught fire twice even during our administration.
"To give way for better development for what Lagos has become, it is the gateway, we want to put hotels there, shopping malls, offices, cinemas and the rest of it so FAAN can make more money and the rest of..." he added.
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"And the entire people in that entire building they are like 150 or 200. Government is going to continue of course, Senate is advisory, it's an executive function, we are not bound by any court of law and government cannot be stopped from giving development to its people.
"Just the other day, some houses were demolished by the Lagos government on our camp. We have been on that issue for sometime. We went up to the Supreme Court and won and they had to give way for development."
Mr Sirika, a former senator, maintained that the issue of the planned demolition of the aviation agencies' building is of national interest, insisting that there is no individual who can stop the government from initiating an action.
"This is in national interest. There's no individual that can drag it out with government. If I want to pull down this hall and build a better one, who is going to stop me as a government?
"So, I think it is not an issue, they are just overheating it and you know why. But we have a responsibility and mandate and we are not shy, we are very bold to do all those things that are good for our people. We are also very responsive and responsible government, where it will affect the lives of the people, of course we are going to do it," he insisted.
"We have been known to do things that better civilization everywhere we go. So, this one also is going to make life very good. I am sure those people that are saying no to it, I am sure they do not want to continue to see Lagos airport the way it is.
"So, few individuals will not deny 250 million Nigerians from the joy of having something that they will go outside Nigeria to see."
