Not satisfied with the pace of re-modelling work going on at the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Heipang, Plateau State, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has charged the contractors handling the job to double efforts and ensure that work was completed on time.

Speaking after inspecting the level of work at the airport, the General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said “the pace of work at the Yakubu Gowon Airport is a bit slow compared to other airports across the country.”

Not satisfied with the pace of re-modelling work going on at the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Heipang, Plateau State, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has charged the contractors handling the job to double efforts and ensure that work was completed on time.

Speaking after inspecting the level of work at the airport, the General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said “the pace of work at the Yakubu Gowon Airport is a bit slow compared to other airports across the country.”

He added that, “Since this project started across the country, the Minister of Aviation has been able to complete Yola, Sokoto, Benin, Kano, Lagos, Abuja, and almost 80 per cent of the airports. By now we expected that that of Jos should have been completed.

“So, we are appealing to the contractor to step up on the work that needs to be done because Yakubu Gowon Airport is very critical to the inter-solution of the aviation sector in Nigeria because it is one of the airports that have been designated for cargo handling, i.e., for the export of perishable and non-perishable agricultural products, and that comes with a lot of opportunities for rural farmers. We are trying to change from the days of loading potatoes in trailers to Lagos, but to now be putting them on the air-craft out of the country.”

He added that the government was very concerned and interested in seeing that the work was completed as soon as possible, noting that because of the uniqueness of Jos as a rich agricultural zone, money being spent on importation of some produce like apple will be reduced when the airport becomes fully operational.

On whether the contractor was facing peculiar challenges unlike other contractors who have finished their project, Dati said that contractors always have their challenges just like life that also has challenges but it is the ability to overcome those challenges that makes the difference between success and failure.

He believed that if the contractors in Yola, Benin, Sokotoetc were overcoming their challenges, nothing should hold back the ones handling the work of the Jos airport.

“The people of Plateau State are anxious and expecting that the project should have been completed by now; the airport is very important as it is named after General Yakubu Gowon, who played a key role for the foundation stones for airports across the country when he was head of state”, he stressed.

He however expressed optimism and happiness that the Manager of Yakubu Gowon Airport, Mr. Jim Opotu, was on hand to lend support to the contractor to make sure the project is completed on time.

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Jos Airport: Yakubu Datti of FAAN urges contractor to step up efforts to complete work