…AIB-N Begins Withdrawal to Abuja
…FG May Pay N10bn Compensation to Dominion, Others
…NASS Cautions On Planned Demolition
…Legal Battle Looms
February 27, (THEWILL) – The owners of private hangars and occupants of structures that are situated very close to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA)’s new terminal may lose investments worth a whopping N20 billion when the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) goes ahead with its plan to demolish the structures.
Although the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, had advised FAAN not to take such a step, describing it as ill-advised, FAAN is, however, insisting that nothing will stop the demolition exercise, even as such action is expected to cost the government up to N10 billion in compensations.
The demolition plan, which is to make way for aircraft parking space at the terminal, is scheduled to commence soon.
NASS OPPOSES PLANNED DEMOLITION
Nnaji spoke recently during a joint oversight inspection tour of the airport by the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Aviation.
The lawmaker said the obstruction was not considered during the initial construction of the new terminal, adding that rather than spend billions of taxpayers’ money on compensation, “FAAN can restrict the use of the affected hangars to narrow-bodied aircraft and deploy the money that would go for compensation to the owners of the facilities to the building of additional terminal.”
Nnaji’s counterpart at the Senate, Smart Adeyemi, also backed the House Committee Chairman’s position.
The senator urged the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Hamisu Yadudu, to submit the cost of demolition and compensation due to the owners of the hangars to the two committees for consideration before demolishing them.
“We are the representatives of the people and we must be sure that the resources of the country are not unduly wasted. We must weigh the options. If the amount to be paid out as compensation does not make sound economic judgement, we will not allow it,” Adeyemi added.
He stressed that the inauguration of the new terminal was long overdue, considering that it was built with borrowed funds and that Lagos Airport generates over 60 per cent of the authority’s total revenue.
Nnaji advised the management of the authority to ensure that the new terminal is inaugurated as soon as possible to decongest the airport.
NO GOING BACK ON PLAN – FAAN
But FAAN insists that the demolition exercise will go on as planned, which is to make way for aircraft parking space at the terminal.
For some time, FAAN has been in a dilemma of either operating the new terminal at reduced capacity or demolishing obstructing hangars to increase the aircraft parking space.
AFFECTED PARTIES
THEWILL gathered that FAAN had already issued a notice of eviction each to the Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N), Dominion and Evergreen Apples Nigeria (EAN) Hangars.
Also affected are the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Road Service Corps (FRSC) and the towing companies close to the AIB-N regional headquarters.
Although FAAN had confirmed the relocation order given to the agencies and other organisations affected at the airport, it insisted that there was no timeframe for their eviction yet.
The aviation agency also insisted that it would not pay the affected companies any form of compensation, but it would provide them another land to reconstruct their offices.
As of last Friday, FAAN was said to have started making very frantic efforts to make provisions for some of the affected organisations, including Dominion Hangar and that of Evergreen Apples Nigeria (EAN) for a start.
AIB-N BEGINS WITHDRAWAL TO ABUJA
When THEWILL visited AIB-N’s office at the MMIA in Lagos on Friday at about 1.45pm, the agency had started removing some of its belongings in readiness to move to Abuja. Some of the workers were seen removing very light items from the office. It is not clear whether it was as a result of the eviction order, but a source close to the agency revealed that it was ordered to vacate its Lagos office on Monday, February 28, 2022.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source said: “Yes, I hear that all the workers have been asked to move to Abuja on Monday. I don’t know why, but as you can see, anything can happen”.
Asked whether there was any form of relocation allowance paid to the workers before now, the source replied in the negative, adding: “On Wednesday, we received a letter from the Department of Administration, directing us to move to Abuja without prior notice. We were given till Monday to relocate to Abuja, even though we don’t have a befitting office there and nothing is being said about our accommodation. And as we stand, nobody is talking about relocation allowances to the workers.
“In the civil service rules, you can’t compel workers to relocate without the payment of relocation allowances. The workers are even using their personal resources to relocate government property to Abuja.”
Amongst the organisations involved, AIB-N seems to be more affected. The regional headquarters of AIB-N, for example, which used to be its headquarters until mid-2020 when the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, compelled the bureau and other sister agencies to relocate their headquarters to Abuja.
This regional office in Lagos houses its office complex, Command & Control Centre, office of investigators and Information Communication Technology (ICT) department.
Others are the Training Centre, Mini Flight Safety Laboratory, which is used for downloading of flight recorders, otherwise known as black boxes, and investigators’ stores, among others.
It was also gathered that, apart from the cost of the land, AIB-N’s facilities alone at the Lagos office are worth over N5 billion. Most of the facilities were installed less than four years ago by the current management led by Engr Akin Olateru, the Commissioner of AIB-N.
Similarly, Evergreen Apple Nigeria and Dominion Hangars as well as others , which were affected by the two-week ultimatum, have total investments worth over N15 billion in the construction of offices, installation of facilities and acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment for their services.
LEGAL BATTLE LOOMS
Since the relocation order was handed to the affected companies, their workers have been apprehensive. But it was gathered that they might resort to challenge their impending eviction in a court of law.
A source close to one of the two towing companies affected by the relocation order confided in THEWILL that the letter of eviction was signed by Capt. Rabiu Yadudu and delivered to the companies recently.
The reason for the evacuation and subsequent demolition of the offices within the airport, it was learnt, may not be unconnected with the ongoing construction of an airport terminal by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC).
THEWILL gathered that FAAN had planned to use the affected buildings and offices for apron extension of the new terminal.
FAAN had previously argued that AIB-N and other companies were obstructing further expansion of the new terminal, but stakeholders argued that the new terminal was wrongly positioned, while the owners of the structures received valid and approved papers from the appropriate authorities before constructing their offices at the present location.
FAAN CONFIRMS ORDER
Commenting, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, the immediate past General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, confirmed that the relocation order was issued to the companies.
Yakubu explained that FAAN would give the affected organisations a new parcel of land within the airport environment, stressing that the companies were on the path of the new terminal.
She, however, debunked the claim that FAAN issued them a two-week ultimatum to relocate, but assured that the new terminal would be open “very soon”.
“There is no timeframe on their relocation, but they have been told to make plans to relocate. You know they can’t relocate within two weeks. The new terminal will definitely be opened to the public very soon and it will be connected to the old terminal,” she said.
STAKEHOLDERS REACT
Meanwhile, aviation experts have condemned the processes of approval of both the terminal and neighbouring structures. To them, if the initial masterplan of MMIA was strictly followed, such confusion wouldn’t have occurred.
Former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu, blamed the approving authorities for contributing to the quagmire.
Ojikutu, who queried whether the approval of the responsible oversight authority was sought before the terminal building was constructed, recalled that the attention of the minister was called to the fact that there was no aircraft parking space around the terminal.
According to him, the original plan was to open the terminal in November 2019.
“We are in 2022 and yet there is no aircraft parking space. The car park near the terminal building is another security risk that nobody is talking about. That must go with all others mentioned, too,” he warned.
On whether the terminal was wrongly sited or not, the former Air Force officer said: “The terminal was not wrongly located, but all others were wrongly located and without the approval of the responsible oversight authority. The car park was expected to be located at the old car park, but the then minister of aviation unilaterally located the car park at the present site because of political interests and influence of certain powers,” he said.
The aviation security expert also stated that same ministerial approval was given to the others mentioned,
“Wait for what happens to the church and mosque later as the matter is getting resolved along the eastern axis of the airport,” he added.
Corroborating Ojikutu, the Secretary-General of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu, blamed the approval processes, describing the attendant confusion as a “product of corruption, which held sway during the period those structures were built.”
Saidu said that MMIA had a Masterplan and that if it had been followed, no issues would have come up.
AVIATION UNIONS’ POSITION
The Deputy General-Secretary, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Frances Akinjole, told THEWILL that the unions were not aware of the relocation of workers.
However, Comrade Ocheme Aba, who confirmed the relocation order, said that some senior staff of the bureau, especially those in the finance department, had been paid relocation allowances since 2020, but they refused to move.
Aba also confirmed that most of the workers were yet to receive their January salaries, but he said that the Ministry of Aviation promised to pay them once they relocate to Abuja.
“The information I gathered is that some of the staff have been paid relocation allowances for some time now, but they refused to move to Abuja. As you are aware, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) last week sent a letter to the agency that they wanted to demolish the building for apron extension of the new terminal at the Lagos Airport.
“Because of this, the management now said everyone should relocate to Abuja. Though they have not been given relocation allowances, the ministry promised that all their outstanding would be paid to them once they move,” he said.
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
