Seven
months after airports remodeling projects were abandoned, Minister of Aviation,
Osita Chidoka has ordered contractors handling the projects to return to site
with immediate effect and complete all pending jobs without further delay.
Contractors
handling the remodeling work at the 22 airports under the Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had abandoned the project because the FAAN and
Ministry of Aviation stopped funding them shortly after the removal of former
minister, Ms. Stella Oduah in February last year.
Besides,
funds allocated for the project by the Ministry of Finance, the accruals from
the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA), could not assessed, under the
acting Minister of Aviation, Dr. Samuel Ortom.
FAAN
sources, who confirmed the development at the weekend, said
priority would be
given to very vital projects and others that were at advanced stages. According
to the sources, the contractors would resume work on the other projects when
more money is approved by the authorities.
An
aviation ministry official, who also confirmed the recommencement of at the
airports, said the projects are very important to the federal government and
Nigerians as a whole and must therefore, be given the attention they deserved.
The
source said contractors will return to site after the necessary logistics have
been provided.
He
said Chidoka has giving the contractors marching order to ensure the completion
of the projects without further delay.
It
was learnt that on assumption of office, Chidoka drafted a team to compile the
list of projects under construction and to indicate their levels of completion
and importance. This, he said was to ensure that very vital projects were given
priority with the available money.
THISDAY
gathered that Chidoka has also warned the contractors to provide quality
services and threatened to terminate the contract of any company whose work
does not meet the required standard. He was also said to have assigned
officials who will supervise the projects on a daily basis, to ensure the
contractors meet the new deadline for completion of the projects.
It
was gathered that the Minister has instructed that all the projects started
during the tenure of Oduah would be completed as they were in line with the
Aviation Master Plan, which was aimed at transforming the aviation industry.
“The
projects are for value creation, not for personal aggrandisement and the
minister wants to achieve maximum value within a short time; so he needs to be
creative to achieve his target. He has called the contractors to return to work
and the issue for him is for quality work to be done. He is a man that wants to
achieve results. He is evaluating the ongoing projects and has come out with
his own plan on how to quickly complete them,” a source said.
The
source also stated that new airport terminals being constructed in Lagos,
Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu would be completed on schedule.
Thisday
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