The Federal government over the weekend says it will demolish two hangars located at the Murtala Mohammad Airport Ikeja in order to pave way for the expansion of the terminal apron.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said one of hangars is Dominion Hangar, belonging to the General Overseer of Living Faith Ministry, Bishop Oyedepo while the other, Evergreen Apple, belongs to the former Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr Harold Demuren; both are scheduled for demolition in a couple of weeks to expand the new terminal’s apron. According to the minister, nothing can stop the development.
This is coming barely two weeks after the Stakeholders Forum, where he reiterated plans to tear down the regional headquarters of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA) and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) to make way for an Aeropolis which according to unions was never planned for Lagos Airport. The Minister who was in Lagos weekend to commission new fire fighting vehicles used the opportunity to talk about his action, slamming critics who are asking what the end game is to all the demolitions and planned demolitions.
He said since the terminal in Lagos has been open to use, it had barely struck near its full capacity, stressing the need for the demolition of the two facilities. He said: ”We are not operating Lagos airport at full capacity. We have some obstructions that will be removed within the next one or two weeks to expand the Apron so that Lagos will have full use 100%.
“Those two hangars I talked about , Dominion and Evergreen will have to go and give way for our airport to be more efficient. It is a $300million investment over there and they can’t sit there in public interest. We have to shift them, I don’t know them, of course I know Demuren, my leader but I don’t know the other guy, it has to go. You can’t deny Lagos and the country in general from using the airports.
”We are going to demolish Dominion Hangar and Evergreen Apple Nigeria hangars to make way for the new Apron and that would be in a few weeks. Demolition of Dominion and Evergreen Apple is a must. ”When asked to clarify further the buildings he has earmarked to demolish apart from Dominion and EAN, he refused further comments on the matter.
Recall that Sirika in March 2022 demolished the over N5bn regional headquarters of the Accident Investigation Bureau now National Safety Investigation Bureau ( NSIB) over terminal expansion of which nothing visible has started save from mechanic workshops and food vendors shops which are springing up from there.