The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor handling the construction of the N712 billion terminal and associated infrastructure at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMIA), Lagos, said it would start work in three months after relocating the current users of the old terminal to a temporary place.
The company said that the three months delay will be used to prepare temporary offices for staff and stakeholders, departure hall and airlines offices so that as the project is going on, these businesses will be operating simultaneously.
THISDAY investigation revealed that temporary relocation of the current users of the terminal to another place was imbedded in the contract; so, it is the responsibility of the construction company to relocate the businesses from the old terminal.
Inside source from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), told THISDAY that the agency is at the behest of the contractor who has taken charge of the construction site and deciding the best way to move the current terminal users to a temporary location to start work in earnest.
The federal government last month announced the total construction and transformation of the old international terminal at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and this would entail the tear down of the old terminal, the linking of the new terminal to the existing one which has taken over most of the activities from the old terminal, and the reconstruction of the facilities like road and other infrastructure for easy movement of passengers and other airport users.
The FAAN inside source told THISDAY, “I want to clarify to you that the job is not being delayed by FAAN. The contractor is working to provide alternative place so that airport users can continue their operations while work is on-going. That is what they are trying to put in place right now. FAAN is not in any way delaying the project or obstructing the project. It is a project that FAAN really wanted and it came up at the right time.”
