The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved over N13 billion for the upgrading of safe tower equipment in four international airports in Nigeria.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika revealed this to Journalists at the end of this week’s cabinet meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sirika said the move is aimed at improving efficiency of control towers at the four airports, located in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.
He said: “Today, Civil Aviation submitted a memorandum to council which was consequently approved. The memo is to upgrade and refurbish the safe tower equipment in four airports, Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
“This is just to increase the efficiency of the airports and reduce the workload in the control tower and to automate what was hitherto analogue systems to digital. Quick example is all of the data we collect at the end of the runways within the airports will now be displayed instantly on our platform in the control tower. Information regarding weather, regarding all of the components of weather, winds, rain, macroburst etc will be displayed automatically.
“So, the issue of giving out weather reports every hourly will change to give you an instant weather which will improve the pilot efficiency and the workload on controller is reduced and it can handle more flights into the airport. The total contract sum is N13.122, 230, 999.17.”
Giving more clarification on the total sum, the Minister said: “This is in two parts. First component which is a foreign component is 28, 489, 565 Euros. The naira component is N3, 491,504,488.31. Of course, there will be 7.5% added VAT. It will be for the completion period of 12 months.”
The Aviation Minister noted that the step taken by the government is very critical to the sector.
“This has been approved as part of things that we do in Civil Aviation that passengers don’t see, that is our major work that we do, it is a terminal building or runway which you can see, these are the things that are out there in the bushes which contribute safety and security of our space,” he said.
Commenting on the merger of some directorates in the Aviation Ministry, Sirika said the decision was taken to enhance efficiency.
“This is a matter of policy, we are driving a road map which was approved by Mr. President long time ago that will make all of our agencies very efficient, reduce bureaucracy, streamline and narrow them in accordance with international best practice.
“Some of the directors that don’t fall in the approved road map will certainly have to go, it’s just a matter of policy and it is going to cut across almost every single agency there,” he said.
NDLEA Accommodation
Also speaking to State House Correspondents, Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami announced that the Council approved N1.1 billion for the acquisition of a 156-room accommodation for use by Staff of the Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
He said: “The memo presented by the office of Attorney General and Minister of Justice is related to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). It is a memo that seeks council’s approval for the award of contract for the purchase of a property properly known and described as Plot No. 1123-1129 Cadastral Zone 0607 at Aviation Village, Airport Road, Abuja – a property which consists of 156 rooms in a three-wing two-storey building at Aviation Village, Airport Road, Abuja. The property is located near the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) building close to the Airforce Base along Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Road, Abuja.
“The necessity for the acquisition of the property is informed by the fact that ever since NDLEA moved from Lagos to Abuja, the officers of the agency were scattered all over the place. Then, the need arose for the government to acquire a befitting accommodation to give them (NDLEA staff) an opportunity to have concentration as it relates to their duties and services.
“The council eventually considered the memo and gave approval for the agency to acquire the property for a consideration of one billion, one hundred and ninety-six million naira, inclusive of 7.5 % VAT with a delivery period of four weeks.”
Source: VON
