28th December, 2012
Simon Ateba/Aviation correspondent
Two months after it was commissioned by Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal 1 is still riddled with problems.
The terminal, which is made up of Alpha and Zulu fingers, cost the government about N700 million and it was commissioned in October.
However, two months after the much publicised event , the conveyor belt is still not functional and the cooling system has remained in limbo with fans being used to drive away the heat and passengers sweating as they wait for flights.
“The building is standing but those in operation
Our correspondent observed that the electromagnetic doors at the building are not yet working and the crowded car park in the vicinity remains a concern.
The new terminal building has two departure halls, known as Alpha and Zulu, and one arrival hall.
While Alpha was hurriedly commissioned, Zulu is yet to be completed even as the contractor seems in a hurry to close the deal.
The Minister had come under intense criticisms from many stakeholders who frown at the criteria she used to choose contractors.
Aviation Round Table, ART, said last week that the process lacked openness and called on the Minister to follow due process in the award of contracts in the sector.
“In the spirit of transparency, accountability and due process of the present administration, the process of contract tenders and award ought to have been made open and available to stakeholders for monitoring purposes,” said Aviation Round Table, ART, at a press conference last week.
Still, the new terminal building is adjudged to be a distant improvement from the shameful structure it replaced.
While the contractor was not available for comments, Joseph Obi, the Media Assistant to the Minister did not return our message.