Lack of funds stall completion of airport terminals projects

Lack of funds from the Federal Ministry of Aviation has forced Contractors handling the remodeling of terminal projects at various airports in the country to pull out of site. Only the five new terminals being built in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and Enugu, which have concession arrangement have construction still ongoing. Work has stopped on the other airport projects across the country. Sources however said that there is enough money earmarked for the completion of all the projects, but the permanent secretary, Dr Jamila Shu’ara, who is the accounting officer for the Ministry of Aviation, is allegedly sitting on the funds. Shu’ara is also being accused of redeploying all the directors who are monitoring the projects for the ministry. And there is fear that what is happening now is a confirmation that these huge projects would not be completed by government. “The permanent secretary is also questioning the projects being built in Akure, Ibadan, Asaba, Enugu and Jos, saying that they were not priority projects. The money to complete these projects is there but they have refused to release it to contractors. The permanent secretary, who is the accounting officer has refused to pay the contractors.” “It is the refusal to pay these contractors that is holding back the completion of the expansion project at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Work should have been completed there by now and new chillers installed to stem the heat being experienced at the airport.” The Special Adviser to the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ori Okojokwu has however denied that Dr Shu’ara is holding back the funds.”That allegation is very unkind. It is not true. Although I am not the spokesman of the ministry but I am telling you that it is not true. Somebody is being mischievous somewhere. That is just the truth,” The danger of not paying the contractors is that the target date for the completion of the projects would not be met, and airport remodeling is a major development programme of the present administration which ought to be completed by the end of this year. It will be recalled that the Supervising Minister of Aviation, Dr Samuel Ortom in a recent interview promised that the projects would be completed because their completion would improve the viability of the aviation sector.