•Re-cabling of airport has Commenced
(Nigerian Tribune) -The incessant power outage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos may soon become history as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is already making moves to change the old cables at the airport to new ones.
In an exclusive interview with the General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, Tribune Aviation gathered that the incidences of a power outage so far experienced were due to teething problems emanating from migration from the old system of cabling to a new one.
Yakubu, who maintained that the power outages already recorded at the airport should not be seen as irredeemable, cited the tireless efforts the FAAN was making to ensure the menace was finally stopped.
The image maker who attributed the records of the power outage at the country’s number one gateway to the ongoing construction works and the re-cabling called for little perseverance just as she said there was no cause for alarm.
Her words: “However, we are presently at the stage of changing the old cables to new ones, and this is being done in phases. Also, lots of construction works are currently ongoing at the airport, consequently the seldom outages being experienced.
“Basically, the power outages are caused by the ongoing construction works at the airport and the re-cabling process currently ongoing. The necessary material and other resources needed for the completion of the project are on the ground, so there is no cause for alarm. We will only plead with our esteemed passengers and other airport users to please bear with us while we complete the process.”
Reacting to the insinuations that the issue of the power outage at the airport was beyond FAAN, Yakubu sharply declared: “Let me correct an impression. Referring to the power outage at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, as being a permanent menace for me will be an over statement.
This is because the recent outages we have had are due to teething problems emanating from our migration from the old system of cabling to a new one. You will recall that recently, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) took delivery of six new industrial generators, with the individual and collective capacity of 4.85MVA and 29.1MVA respectively.
“There are three sources of power at MMA, they are the primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary source is from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and is most times unreliable. That was why the Authority decided to concentrate efforts on putting in place a suitable alternative, which serves as the secondary source. The generators have been installed and are functioning effectively.
“However, we are presently at the stage of changing the old cables to new ones, and this is being done in phases. Also, lots of construction works are currently ongoing at the airport, consequently the seldom outages being experienced. The Authority will like to assure our esteemed customers that these challenges will soon be over, as we have almost completed the re-cabling.”
Asked about how soon the power outage will be finally addressed; Yakubu retorted: “Like I said earlier, this challenge will soon be a thing of the past. We are at at the advanced stage of completing the project.”
