Barring a last-minute change of heart, the Federal Government will start demolishing the multibillion-naira private aircraft hangars at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos in the next one to two weeks.
According to the Federal Government, the hangars were impeding the effective use of the international wing airport and needed to be removed to make room for the growth of the new international terminal that was constructed at the Lagos airport with Chinese loans.
At the presentation of 10 new fire trucks at the Lagos airport, the minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, announced the government’s plan and announced that construction on the city’s brand-new international gateway would soon begin.
The two hangars, Dominion and Evergreen, would have to make way for a more functional airfield, he said. Now that everyone is aware, we are not running the Lagos airport to capacity. In order to extend the runway and ensure that Lagos’s airport is fully utilized, some obstacles will be eliminated within the next one to two weeks.
If they cannot remain there for the public good; we would move them immediately. You can’t stop this metropolis, Lagos, and the nation as a whole from using their airport.
He continued, “When we destroyed the Accident Investigation Bureau structure that belonged to us, some people said it was to transfer them to Abuja; however, they have never been to Lagos, and their offices are in Abuja, so what is tiny AIB of 200 people if the entire nation is moving to Abuja. I don’t need to destroy their structure; if I tell him to leave and he doesn’t, I’ll dismiss him; I nominated him, so no great problem.
The minister stated that the government departments have been instructed to create a document that will increase the efficiency of the aircraft sector, adding that this paper will be included in his transfer notes.
What needs to be done will be done because “government is a serious business; without it, there would be no way to exist.”
Bishop David Oyedepo, senior pastor of Living Faith World Outreach (Winners Chapel), is said to own Dominion Hangar, and Dr Harold Demuren, a former director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, is said to own a share in Evergreen Apple.
International and foreign carriers were unable to relocate to the facility after the inauguration of the new international airport, which was constructed in China and opened in March of last year. This was due to the facility’s tiny runway area. The construction has made it more difficult to utilise the $300 million building effectively.
The government announced some structural elements preventing the growth of the apron area would be eliminated in an effort to widen the apron side and ensure optimal use of the facility. The AIB offices, which were situated behind the new airport, were destroyed by the federal government last year.
According to reports, the government was unable to destroy some buildings, particularly the private aircraft hangars held by private companies because of legal worries. According to accounts, if the government has to tear down the hangars and other structures that are behind the new MMIA airport, it may give about N5 billion in reparations.
It’s uncertain if there is legal action being taken in this case or if the Federal Government and the hangar’s proprietors have reached a settlement.
When contacted for a response, an Evergreen Apple representative was unable to provide one right away. Additionally, as of the time this story was filed, Dominion Hangar could not be contacted for comment.
In response to the development, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, Assistant General Secretary for Aviation Safety and Round Table Initiative said, “It is shocking that these steps are being taken after the polls when they should have been done about four or five years ago. There the airport has been for roughly four or five years. The administration’s final two months are approaching. I think this is something we ought to have left until the new government. People have gone to institutions to accept debts to complete these initiatives, so if the government does this, it will be required to make a significant settlement.
