Teddy Oscar, Abuja
The minister of aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, on Tuesday hinted that the proposed Aerotropolis project would fetch the Federal Government the sum of N100 billion in revenue, as well as 10 million jobs.
Oduah spoke before the special ad hoc committee set up by the House of Representatives to investigate alleged improper allocation, cases of land racketeering in the mass housing scheme, land swap and allocations of commercial and residential plots by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 2010 till date.
She said that the project is valued at about N300 billion will facilitate the provision of infrastructures including roads, bridges, storm water drainage, portable water network, street lighting and telecommunication services among others.
“The Aerotropolis in Abuja will generate N100 billion in revenue, 10 million employment for the Abuja indigenes and infrastructure investment of N300 billion, as well as extend our GDP from aviation from 3 percent to 15 percent, and create huge value chains in agriculture, tourism and a fatalist to economic growth.
“The airport infrastructure which is a 21st century phenomenon gaining ground all over the world will also boost the country’s economy and generate the much needed employment for the teeming youth,” she added.
Earlier, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), reaffirmed before the lawmakers that the proposed Centenary City that is meant to add glamour to commemorate Nigeria’s 100 years of amalgamation will fetch the Federal Government a whopping N3 trillion from foreign investment.
Anyim gave indication that the authorities were on the verge of concluding modalities for compensation to the Abuja original inhabitants and other property owners displaced to give way for the construction of the city.
He, however, explained that all encumbrances in connection with the project will have to be eliminated by the FCT administration before any compensation to the beneficiaries will take place.
“Why nothing has happened on the site today yet is because the investors in the city will not want to have any problem at all. They want every encumbrances to the city to be resolved completely.
“The FCT administration is charged with anything compensation, resettlement and the authorities have already done the enumeration of those affected by the displacement including economic trees and buildings at the site.
“The FCT has already forwarded the total bill to the planners to pay off all the economic trees, all the structures, compensation, resettlement and rehabilitation. We are in the process of transferring money to the authorities so that they can use the proper process to resolve all that. The centenary city is not doing anything on the area until every challenge about the site is resolved,” the former Senate president added.
Recall that Bala Mohammed, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had earlier disclosed that the Centenary City project will attract an investment of N3.2 trillion for the next 10 years.
Mohammed, who also spoke before the ad hoc committee, also hinted that the FCT requires an annual sum of N480 billion to address new infrastructure investments for the next five years.
