By LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah has reiterated the need for all Nigerians to key into the transformation going on in the aviation industry while warning that nobody can hold the aviation industry to ransom.

The Minister said this while speaking with aviation reporters after the commissioning of the remodelled General Aviation Terminal, GAT, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Princess Oduah while fielding questions from reporters said the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, is not part of the concession agreement entered into by the Federal Government with Bi-Courtney.

It will be recalled that Bi-Courtney Services has maintained that GAT is part of the concession agreement it entered into with the government and threatened to sue to stop the commissioning and operation of the remodelled terminal.

The Minister said; ‘’Well, it is a free country, we are all entitled to talk, for overridding public interest, this airport belongs to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by extension the people of Nigeria and government on that note ensures that you have the airports that you have today.

“Many of us who use this airport before knew it was an eye-sore and if this airport had rightly belonged to as you call him, your neighbour, he would not have allowed the airport to have gone to that decay stage where we met it but as far as we are concerned, the airport doesn’t belong to him, the airport belongs to FAAN again by extension, to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to all of us and nobody can hold a nation to ransom, nobody can hold all of us and any of us to ransom, we must be progressive, we must let this country grow, we must do that which benefits our people.’’

The commissioning of the remodelled terminal was done by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Pius Ayim.

Speaking during the commissioning, Senator Ayim said the Federal Government programme in the aviation sector is not limited to the remodelling of the airports and the reconstruction of new ones, but also covers all aspects of the industry including acquisition and distribution of modern equipment that will ensure safety in the Nigerian airspace, adequate weather reporting, comfort and security of passengers as well as the safety of aircraft.

He also commended the aviation minister for  ‘’ her unrelenting efforts at improving our airports as well as our airspace to international standards.’’

Also speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr George Uriesi said construction work on the remodelled terminal began on the 5th of November and it took 11 months to accomplish the reconstruction. He also revealed that the remodelled terminal cost N648 million and it can take up to 1,000 passengers at a time.

Mr. Uriesi further said “the capacity of the old terminal was for 400,000 passengers per annum but was processing 1.8 million passengers. Today, I am pleased to say that this new facility can handle 15 departing passengers at peak hours and can handle 12 domestic flights at peak hour. With this facility which is built in a total of 11 months at a total cost of N648 million, which is what some people use to build their houses in this country but this facility cost us N648 million.’’