The Nation Newspaper

Tag: remodelling

  • Furore over airport remodelling

    Furore over airport remodelling

    The airport remodelling project embarked upon by the federal government since 2011 has generated controversies. Amid brickbats between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and senate committee on aviation, the supervising minister of aviation, Dr Samuel Ortom, reasons that the “healthy debts” would not derail the course of projects. Kelvin Osa Okunbor reports.

    Crisis is brewing in the aviation industry over allegations of inflation of the contract sum for the third phase of the airport remodelling project embarked upon by the federal government. At the centre of the controversy is the difference in the estimated cost of the project as released by the senate committee on aviation and figures emanating from FAAN, which puts the figures N26 billion less than the N174 billion declared by the senate.

    In 2011, the federal government through the ministry of aviation embarked on the remodelling, expansion and restructuring of airport terminals across the country. The federal government also said it would build 13 fresh cargo terminals, provide equipment for the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).These projects were all initiated during the tenure of the immediate past Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah. While several of the airport terminals have been completed and inaugurated, others are either at 70 or 80 per cent completion stage. These projects are not just at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos alone, they are scattered all over the country.

    For example, 13 perishable cargo terminals are to be located in Abuja, Akure, Calabar, Ilorin, Jalingo, Jos, Kano, Lagos, Makurdi, Minna, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Uyo.

    According to the General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati, the perishable cargo terminal are, at present, based on expression of interest from the private sector and state governments.

    While these projects and others were going on at the various airports in the country, the president removed the former minister and this gave room for speculations in some quarters that the projects that have made the federal government to incur debts of N174 billion would be abandoned.

    To further buttress the point, the federal government has been making and reassuring stakeholders that none of the ongoing projects will be abandoned. The supervising minister of aviation, Dr Samuel Ortom, embarked on the spot assessment of the projects under construction at the Lagos Airport.

    During the visit, Ortom in the company of the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Engr Benedict Adeyileka, Managing Director of FAAN, Engr Saleh Dunoma, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr Ibrahim Abdulsalam, and the Commissioner, AIB, Dr. Felix Abali, inspected the projects at the Lagos Airport.

    Ortom stated that aviation agencies would continue to generate more revenue to enable them complete the on-going projects. He said the decision to generate more revenue for aviation agencies became imperative in view of the over N174 billion debts accumulated from the third phase of the airport remodelling project.

    The minister said efforts are on to compile a comprehensive report on all the projects to enable government work out a pay-back arrangement as well as prioritise the implementation of the projects.

    He said the aviation sector would require more funds to fix the on-going airport infrastructure, adding that the funding gap in the aviation sector has become imperative in view of the various projects that have been embarked on.

    Ortom said the implementation of the aviation master plan is still in place to turn around the aviation sector for enhanced efficiency.

    Ortom said: “I will soon come up with a comprehensive report on all the projects going on currently. This further confirms why we have a commitment of N174 billion! Some of the commitments are on projects that have not even started. As we speak, work is going on in other airports. Some have been completed.  Some of the projects have been suspended due to paucity of funds but you will agree that the 2014 Budget has been delayed but it has been signed into law by Mr. President and once the funds are released to us, we will make them available to contractors to resume work.”

    On how to address funding challenges in the aviation sector, Ortom said: “We will programme the projects based on their current level of execution. Though we have funding challenges, through internally generated revenue, we can achieve a lot. We will strive to generate more revenue and plough it back into the system.

    “We also appeal to Mr. President to approve more funding and we are confident if there are funds he could assist us with, he would oblige us. He is very committed to the revamping of the aviation sector. He is the initiator of transformation in the aviation sector and for the first time a president is devoting this much attention to aviation in Nigeria and committed to revamping the entire 22 airports in Nigeria. I want to assure Nigerians that the projects will be completed.”

    At FAAN Fire Service office, Ortom demanded to know what the uncompleted building in the environment was meant to serve. He was informed that it was meant to be a fire tower. The Acting General Manager, Fire Service, Rindap Domtur told the minister that the major challenge facing the section is the lack of manpower and human capacity building.

    Domtur lamented that the authority has a total of 600 fire staff across airports in the country and that the agency would require 1,500 personnel for effective performance.

    Domtur added that the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos, which is in Category 9 has only 160 personnel, which according to him is far below what the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) approves for such category.

    Ortom also visited the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) site at the airport, the new private jet terminal that is under construction, the expanded departure hall and arrival hall at the international wing, where two high-speed and ultra-modern conveyor belts have been installed, and the new international terminal under construction by CCECC which would be completed next year.

    At the departure area, the minister observed that the contractor in charge of cleaning the departure area was not cleaning the area properly and directed FAAN to ensure the contractor improve on the cleaning.

    Finally, the supervising minister inspected the 20-room hotel project at the international wing of the airport for transit passengers.

    Speaking shortly after inspecting the projects at the Lagos airport, Ortom said prior to inspecting the projects, he had constituted a committee to go round the project sites and make a thorough report on what the remodelling programme entails.

    The supervising minister stated that he was happy with the projects, adding that having seen them, “I can now understand why the debt is up to N174 billion.

    “Some of the airports, the remodelling exercise have been completed while we have phases one, two and three. We agreed that most of the work was suspended due to lack of funding, but you will also agree with me that for this year 2014, the budget was delayed and it has just been signed into law. Very soon funds would be released to the contractors.”

  • Airport remodelling project not abandoned-FAAN

    Airport remodelling project not abandoned-FAAN

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) over the weekend said that the Ministry of Aviation has not abandoned the airports remodelling project.

    This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the Coordinating General Manager, Aviation Parastatals, Mr Yakubu Dati.

    The statement described the allegation against the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation, Dr Jamila Shu’ara as not only unfounded and untrue, but also unfortunate.

    “The allegation against the Permanent secretary that she refused to release funds to contractors handling the remodelling project was not only unfounded and untrue, but very unfortunate.

    “We wish to state that the remodelling project was designed by the Federal Government to modernise all airport terminals in the country.

    “The design was in line with International standards and best practices, and it has not been abandoned.

    “The seeming lull in the execution of the project in some of our airports was caused by the late passage of the 2014 budget.

    “We therefore wish to assure the public that work on the project will be accelerated as soon as fund is released to the affected contractors,” statement said.

    According to the statement, the Supervising Minister of Aviation, Dr Samuel Ortom has assured Nigerians that work on the remodelling project would be completed on schedule.

  • Iddo, Ebute Metta, seven other train stations for remodelling

    President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the remodelling and redevelopment of nine major railway stations.

    The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, disclosed this in Abuja.

    He said the project, which will involve Public Private Partnership (PPP), will commence soon.

    According to him, the railways stations to be remodelled include Iddo terminal station, Lagos; Ebute Metta junction station, Lagos; Ilorin station; Kaduna junction station; Kano station; Port Harcourt station; Enugu, Jos and Gombe stations.

    He added that feasibility studies have been carried out on new railway routes for 300 kilometres standard gauge line on East-West rail line including Lagos – Shagamu-Ijebu Ode-Benin City.

    The consulting firm is Team Nigeria Ltd with consultancy fee of N165,310,275.

    Other standard gauge lines are 615 Km Lagos-Ibadan-Oshogbo-Baro-Abuja High Speed gauge awarded to CPCS Transcom at N284,562,603.

    Umar also mentioned the 533Km Ajaokuta (Eganyi)-Obajana-Jakura-Baro-Abjua with additional line from Ajaokuta to Otukpo to be handled by Siraj Nigeria Ltd at N443, 154,907.11.

    There is also the 520Km Zari-Kaura Namoda-Sokoto-Illela-Benin Koni (Niger Republic) by Team Nigeria Ltd for N214, 560,920.00 as well as the 500Km Benin-Agbo-Onitsha-Nnewi-Owerri-Aba with additional lines from Onitsha-Enugu-Abakil iki by Team Nigeria Ltd at N226, 816,661.63.

    Others, according to the minister, are the 280Km Eganyi (Near Ajaokuta)-Lokoja-Abaji-Abuja by CrestHill Engineering Ltd at N144,003,024.00 and 673 Km Niger Delta Region (Benin-Sapele, Warri-Yenagoa, PH-Aba-Uyo-Calabar-Akampa-Ikom-Obudu Cattle Ranch) by CPCS Transcom at N334,016,907.84.

    On concession of freight and passenger services, Umar said an Outline Business Cases (OBC) has been concluded by the Nigerian Railway Corporation and is awaiting approval for processing to the next stage.

    According to him, transaction advisers would subsequently be appointed after which investors would be invited to bid for the concessioning of railways operations including procurement of rolling stocks on the Western and Eastern lines.

    To enhance safety on the water ways, Umar said about 25 boats including 13 armored boats and 12 conventional boats have been provided.

    He added that three additional armored boats are expected in the next few months.

     

  • ‘Airport remodelling good’

    Former Minister of Information and Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group(NESG), Frank Nweke, has described the ongoing investment by the government on airport infrastructure as commendable. He said it as one of the steps to raise the bar in service delivery in the transport industry.

    Nweke expressed optimism that the government would continue to do more in terms of infrastructure upgrade, especially at the nation’s airport.

    Nweke, who led a team of the World Economic Summit Forum to inspect facilities at the remodelled airports in Lagos, said the team had been inspecting facilities so that they could consider either Lagos or Abuja, as proposed cities for the forthcoming conference by the forum.

    He explained that Nigeria and South Africa are being considered as host countries for the Forum in 2014.

    Nweke said with what is happening at the airports, value has already been added, saying that more investment in the sector is needed.

    He said: “Government is investing in infrastructure. This is commendable and we need to do more of it. Value is already added with the remodelling and its not over yet, it is the begining. It evolves and in a year or two we expect more investment.”

    Also speaking, Director General of the National Tourism Development Commission(NTDC), Otunba Segun Runsewe said the remodelled airports will show the pride of Nigeria as well as boost the tourism potential as the airports are the first port of call.

    Runsewe said,”Our airports are becoming international standard and in no long time become a show of pride for us as a people.”

    ” You see the airport is the first port of call and the minute you enter it tells you a lot about the people, it is at par with airports across the world.”

    ” The remodelling has made our airports one of the best in Africa. I am soneone watching with keen interest on the transformation because it is a better way for me to sell this country”, the NTDC boss said.

     

  • Remodelling has changed face of industry

    Remodelling has changed face of industry

    The Federal Government has announced plans to start the second phase of airports remodelling in the second quarter of the year.

    The plans are coming following the successful remodelling of five of the 11 airports under the first phase. Works is ongoing on the others.

    According to the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, five new terminals will be built in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu.

    The airport terminals will be built under an arrangement the Federal Government reached with some Chinese investors who are expected to fund the project.

    Princess Oduah listed the terminals already built in the first phase as the General Aviation Terminal at the domestic of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Benin Airport, Owerri Airport, Jos Airport, Yola Airport, Kaduna Airport, Sokoto Airport, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano and others that were remodelled in the first phase of the project.

    She assured that the government will not stop until all the airports are reconstructed like suitable gateways in other parts of the world.

    Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN), Mr George Uriesi, said the Benin Airport which now has a new air conditioning system will be inaugurated soon.

    Besides, he assured that construction at Sokoto, Jos, Owerri, Enugu and other airports have reached advanced stage as the remodelling train moves to the second stage.

    Uriesi acknowledged that the level of work done at the Benin Airport is commendable.

    Uriesi, while inspecting the work at the Benin Airport, last week, said the government is determined to ensure that airports are given a facelift.

    The inspection also took the FAAN team to three other airports, namely Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri; Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and the Port Harcourt International Airport.

    Uriesi told contractors that the ongoing remodelling was long overdue. He called on airport users to bear with the authority concerning the inconveniences they had to go through during the project execution.

    He said such hassles accompany repairs of a facility while operations are ongoing at the designated airports.

    He inspected the work done at each of the four airports and called the contractors to see themselves as stakeholders in the industry by giving the best service they could render, to make the airports become a hub in the West African sub-region.

    He said the Federal Government is concerned with the welfare of the travelling public, and is committed to raise the standard of operations to world class.

    The Chairman of IRS Airlines, Alhaji Ishaku Rabiu, said the remodelling of the airports has raised the stakes for many operators, who he noted, were getting excited over efforts of the government to fix major infrastructure at airports nationwide.

    He said the fixing of major airport infrastructure would go a long way in attracting more people to travel by air. He noted that beyond the terminal building, other areas of operations would be fixed.

    An aviation consultant, Mr Chris Aligbe, explained that though most industry players did not quite understand the shape of the airport remodelling, when it started, but the completion of the general aviation terminal of the Lagos Airport, has given direction to the project.

    He urged support for the projects, adding that the government appears to be giving adequate attention to infrastructure upgrade at airports across the country.

    Another expert, who declined to be named, observed that with the massive reworking of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, as well as the expansion of the arrival hall at the airport, appears on course. He urged the government to quickly start the building of the new terminals designated for Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu.

    FAAN’s Director of Airport Safety and Security, Mr Wendel Ogunedo, said the training of personnel to man the terminals is part of the reconstruction.

    He said the Federal Government had embarked on replacing screening machines at airports nationwide.

    He said: “Before the end of this month there will be new screening machines at all the airports in the country and because we do not want to compromise on security in any way, we are providing the privately owned airports with the machines too. We are introducing comprehensive security system and we have been monitoring activities at all these airports to prevent security breach and so far, so good.”

    He said the government had signed a training agreement with the Dubai-based Emirates Airlines for the training of AVSEC officials. Before the end of this month, the first batch of 120 officers will leave for the training and the target is to train about 600 aviation security officials, he added.

    “Although we don’t make our security efforts public, don’t forget that the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) in Lagos was dismantled and rebuilt in one year. During that period operations were done in a makeshift place and throughout that period, there were no security problems. That will tell you that we are working.

    “We have also carried out comprehensive shake up by redeploying workers at the airports and we have decided that no officer will stay at one posting for more than three years, because when they stay too long, they join the system, instead of improving it. We cannot allow the huge resources being expended on the remodelling of the airports to go without adequate security,” he said.

    Ogunedo said the minister is determined to ensure that two major airports in Lagos and Abuja will be certified by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a step that would improve the profile of the airports and attract more international operators to the country.

    “That is why we are changing all the screening machines that have problems. We are installing new machines with after sales service agreement, training and retraining of staff and we are also providing new screening machines for cargo at the cargo shed. Before the end of this year, we hope that we shall realise that objective,” he added.

  • Plank market for remodelling

    Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola yesterday said his administration will not tolerate building of structures without proper planning at the Oko Baba Plank Market, which was razed by fire on Tuesday.

    Fashola, who came to commiserate with the traders, said the government would re-design the area in compliance with modern trend and put in place measures to prevent such occurrence in future.

    He said: “First, I am going to send the Ministry of the Environment to come here and clear all the drainage, clean the place up and nobody should build here without town planning approval. We won’t let you do it.

    “We need to sit down and talk on how we want this place to be. We need separate saw mill business from residential area. Do we want to do everything here or get a place where we can saw our logs and bring the planks here to sell?

    “We are preparing a place with machines that can saw your logs. We are also constructing 3,000 housing units there for you to live. There will be water and power supply among other things.

    “Government has done its bit; it is now left for you to decide whether you want to live in this dirty place or move to where you have everything to enhance your work.”

    The governor advised residents to insure their property against disasters such as fire to cushion the effect of losses.

    “No matter how small, any property can be insured. If you have television that cost N200, 000; it is only the one per cent of that amount that you need to insure it. If anybody had done that here, you would have been at your insurance agent’s office to make your claims,” he said.