Non availability of funds has hindered the completion of airport remodeling projects at the international wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.
This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Mrs. Binta Bello, at the weekend when she inspected ongoing projects at the two airports.
The projects affected include the Airport Power Contract, Protocol Lounge and Landscaping at the Lagos Airport and construction of Departure and Arrival Halls at the Port Harcourt Airport among others.
Consequently, Mantrac Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling the Lagos Airport Power Project, has vowed not to return to site until government reimburses the money it has so far committed into the project.
Though the firm did not state how much is involved and the total cost of the contract, an official of the company disclosed that because of lack of funds, some generating plants were not operating at the Lagos Airport.
Also at the new Protocol Lounge at the Lagos International Airport, the permanent secretary was informed that the contractor was also being owed, leading to the suspension of work.
In the same vein, the contractor handling work at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Inter Bau Construction Ltd, said work on phase 1 (departure) was between 80-90 per cent completion while work on phase 2 (arrival) “is almost nil.”
Speaking with newsmen after the inspection tour, the chairman of the company, Sir Nath Okechukwu, said the second phase of the project was awarded at the cost of N1.7 billion, adding that the last time he received payment for the work was in 2013.
“In phase 1, we have done about 80-90 per cent and phase 2 is almost nil. In phase 1, our money got exhausted. We don’t have money and we have to suspend work.
“In phase 2, the total sum then was N1.7 billion. But it has gone up, though we don’t know how much we are coming up with.
“We hope very soon they will make some payments so that we may go back to work. The owner of the project has just finished inspection. When she gets back to Abuja, then we will know what she is coming up with,” he said.
He also assured that “if money is made available, we will deliver the project(s) before the current administration marks its first 100 days in office.”
Also speaking on the inspection, the permanent secretary said her mission was to see the projects to know the stages of completion in relation to money spent on them so far, adding that on the funding for the projects inspected, the ministry will look at it and as soon as money is available, the contractors will be mobilized to site.”
She however expressed satisfaction with the level of work.
She said: “Work is progressing very well. I am actually happy with what I have seen. I have seen the determination to improve infrastructure at the airports and we are taking what we have seen back to Abuja. I’ve been told they had some challenges during the take-off of the projects.
“They have overcome most of them and they are working very hard to close the gaps created by man-hours lost. I am satisfied with the work done so far. If they didn’t have initial challenges, they would have gone further than where they are,” she said.
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