…..Says no compensation for affected entities
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has given the Accident Investigation Bureau – Nigeria (AIB-N) and other entities with facilities at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos relocation notice to vacate their present offices.
This is just as legal battle looms over the latest development.
Other organisations that will be affected by this order includes: Caverton, Dominion, Evergreen Apple Nigeria and ExecuJet hangars.
Following the notice, the affected companies are expected to vacate their present locations.
Experts have , however, fault the possibility of the deadline .
The relocation notice came barely a week after the National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation, led by Senator Smart Adeyemi and Hon. Nnolim Nnaji Aviation, warned FAAN against demolishing the affected offices and private hangars at Lagos Airport, based on the fact that it would cost the country billions of naira.
It was learnt that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Road Service Corps (FRSC) and the towing companies close to the AIB-N regional headquarters in Lagos are affected by the order.
Though, FAAN confirmed that it issued a relocation notice to the agencies with offices close to the airside but that there was no time line for the agencies and companies to vacate where they presently occupied.
FAAN stated that the agency would not compensate any of the affected organisations be it private or government entities but it would provide them another land to re-build their offices.
If FAAN carries out its threat to evict these organisations, billions of Naira worth of properties belonging to these entities would be affected.
For instance, AIB-N, has its regional headquarters that was the agency’s head officer until mid-2020 when the Aviation Minister, Sen. Hadi Sirika, gave it and other aviation agencies a marching order to move to the Abuja office.
The facility now houses its office complex, Command & Control Centre, office of investigators and Information Communication Technology (ICT) department.
Apart from the cost of the land, it was learnt that AIB-N’s facilities in Lagos regional office is worth over N5 billion.
Most of the facilities at the AIB-N’s office in Lagos were installed less than four years ago by the Engr. Akin Olateru, led the management team.
While FAAN has issued the eviction order, the affected organisations who are not comfortable and bitter about the development may be heading to court to challenge their eviction.
A source close to one of the two towing companies affected by the relocation order, said that the order is real and that the letter conveying the message was signed by the Managing Director of FAAN, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu.
The reason for wanting to evict AIB-N and other organisations, it was learnt, is to allow the Chinese contractors building the terminal at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport to use the offices demolished as apron.
Recalled that FAAN had contended that the organisations doing businesses at that corridor were making it difficult for it to expand the new terminal still under construction.
But the organisations on their part had argued that they received valid and approved papers from the relevant authorities before constructing their offices at the present locations, wondering why FAAN is now asking them to vacate the same place they got approvals for.
They further argued that they are not the problem but that the challenge lies with the terminal itself that was not well located.
The General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, confirmed the development.
She explained that FAAN would give the affected organisations new land within the airport environment.
She added that the affected organisations were not given two weeks to relocate as has been speculated.
“FAAN is relocating those offices that have been asked to move. “
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