By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
For the umpteenth time, Nigeria’s minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has vowed to continue with the demolition of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) buildings located at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, inspite of the opposition to the exercise by the unions in the Nigerian aviation industry.
This is even as the minister has said that the intervention of the Senate to press him to halt the demolition in Lagos is a mere advisory which the federal government is not obliged to take, adding that no court in Nigeria is stopping government the demolition hence government is going on with the demolition and construction of hotels, shopping centres and offices among others.
Speaking to State House Correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo at Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, Sirika said the federal government is favourably disposed to go ahead with the remodelling of Nigerian airports including the Murtala Mohammed International Airport ,Lagos to meet international standard.
According to him, agitations by aviation workers union are nothing but a storm in the tea cup, arguing that it will not stop federal government from carrying out the demolition and construction of modern hotels, shopping centres, cinemas and entertainment facilities at the nation’s premier airport.
Reminded that Senate has called on him to halt the demolition exercise going on in Lagos, Sirika dismissed such call with a wave of the hand insisting that work will go on unhindered as far as the federal government is concerned.
Said he: “Senate’s call for the Aviation Ministry to stop work is advisory, no court in the land is stopping us from going ahead with the remodelling of our airports, so government is going on with the demolition and construction of hotels, shopping centres, cinemas and other entertainment facilities at the airport.
“I don’t know what is wrong with our people (Nigerians) because they accuse us of not replicating what we see at other airports abroad. Now we want to make our airports to look like what we see in Dubai, Frankfurt, Paris and in developed countries but few people want to stop it.
“That is not going to happen. We are going to remove all those shanties at Lagos airport and elsewhere to bring our airports to the standards seen abroad. Government will not be cajoled to stop what is going on in Lagos”.
Asked if he believes the much-awaited Air Nigeria will still fly before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration which is barely three weeks away, Sirika posited that the airline will come on stream within the life span of the present government led by Buhari.
“Why not? Air Nigeria will become a reality during the life span of the administration of President Buhari. I don’t see why Air Nigeria should not start operation before the end of the Buhari presidency.
“Assuming it will not commence operations before this administration ends, the incoming government is still APC government, so it is in their own interest to continue the project. It will not be in the interest of the government to abandon Air Nigeria project because the private sector is the highest shareholders in the airline”.
Aviation workers union have been protesting against plans by the federal government to demolish headquarters annexes of aviation agencies at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
The dispute came to a head last month when the workers who converged on the Freedom Square of FAAN in Lagos carried different placards with inscriptions such as “No to demolition of FAAN headquarters Annex,” “FG stop the demolition of headquarters annex Lagos,” “FAAN headquarters annex not for sale,” “Build FAAN corporate headquarters,” and “Demolition of FAAN headquarters is fraud,” among others.
The General Secretary of the Air Transport Staff Senior Services of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Frances Akinjole, wondered why demolition of aviation agencies topped the agenda of the present administration with barely two months to go.
Akinjole said while the unions were not against any demolition, government must ensure the payment of the staff’s relocation allowances and other benefits accrued to them.
Also, Mrs. Safiya Araga of the Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), said there must be adequate provisions for the workers before they are relocated.
The Minister was accused of demolishing AIB, NEMA and FAAN buildings after they were recently renovated at high costs while new furniture were bought including new air-conditioner were procured just as the minister has asked the Managing Director of NAMA and FAAN to move all the files in Lagos Headquarters to Abuja.
