N106bn approved for upgrading of 11 airports (All of which will be stolen)

Posted by admin Aviation, Latest Politics Saturday, September 8th, 2012

From WALTER UKAEGBU, Abuja

The Federal Government has approved N106 billion, through the Federal Executive Council (FEC), to commence construction of five new world class international airport terminals in the country.

Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, made this disclosure yesterday in Abuja during a press conference to update stakeholders on development in the aviation sector.

Oduah said government will also construct six new cargo terminals in some existing airports.

According to her, the ministry had on assumption of office drawn up a three phase road map for the development of the sector.

She said the first phase or short term agenda was to immediately give a face-lift to Nigerian airports, explaining that this gave birth to the simultaneous remodeling and construction of 11 airports across the country.

The airports she stated include the Murtala Mohammed international Airport and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), both in Lagos; the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; and the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.

Others include Akanu lbian International Airport, Enugu; the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar; Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos; the Yola, Kaduna and Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri.

Oduah added: “As at this moment, the projects have reached 80 per cent completion and would be completed and put to use in the few weeks and months.

The remaining airports will commence shortly.”

The minister disclosed that at the end of the exercise, all 22 airports under the management of FAAN would wear a new and modern look.

The minister further said that the second phase in the implementation strategy of the road map, which falls under the medium term prgramme, would be the construction of five new international terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu.

She explained that last Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council approved the award of contracts for the immediate take off of construction work on the terminals.

“Following the approval of FEC, we have concluded arrangement to commerce construction of five brand new world class international airports. What we have today is not befitting of us as the gaint of African,” she emphasized.

Princess Oduah maintained that this development must transcend the immediate euphoria that comes with the realization that Nigeria dreams for standard airport are about to come to fruition.

The minister stressed that the dream of the government is to strive to transform Nigeria’s Aviation sector into a major contribution to the nation GDP as the airports are pivotal to the actualization of the dream.

“The award of contracts for the construction of the five international airports will be significant first step in this direction. This is not even talking about the huge psychological lift this will do to our psyche as a nation, she said.

She disclosed that the contracts for the construction of the five airports have a life span of 24 months while the projects were to be executed with a concessionary loan of 22 years with five years moratorium at an interest rate of two per cent.

“Mobilization to site by the contraction is expected to commence within 90 days. Also, the third phase of our implementation strategy is the Aerotroplis project, which are airport cities that provide clusters of businesses ranging from manufacturing, information and communication technology (ICT),” she said.

The minster, who told journalists that she would soon return to China to sign the contract for the take off of construction work on the five brand new terminals, said the lifting of the suspension on DANA Airline was based on the government’s satisfaction, after carrying out a technical audit of the operator, that the airline is airworthy.

“While we continue to share in the pain and loss of the families of those who lost their loved ones in the crash, we want to stress that we took this decision with all sense of responsibility”, she said.

The minister stated that government was not under any pressure to restore the airline’s operating license.

via Sunwp_posts