By Maha Sulaiman.
Benghazi, 27 February 2016:
Following the apparent success of the military operation in Benghazi to finally crush militants in the . . .[restrict]city, the Thinni government has approved plans to erect prefabricated building at Benghazi University so that that it can start working again. It has also called on staff at the city’s Benina airport to report for work pending its reopening.
Agreement to install prefab units at the university was reached yesterday at a cabinet meeting in Beida. The cost is put at LD 140 million and implementation will take between six to 12 months, ministers were told. The meeting was attended by the university’s head, Abdullah Magharbi, as well as officials from the Wahda Bank which is to fast track finance for the project.
The university’s main campus at Garyounis, which was used as a base by the militants, has suffered major damage in the more than a year and half of fighting between them and the Libyan armed forces.
Garyounis is one of the few remaining areas not yet fully cleared of IS and its allies.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry has told police and security staff working at the airport that they had to report for work or be sacked.
The instruction comes amid rumours that Benina, used by the airforce but not for civil flights, is finally about to reopen. However, airport management this evening announced that it was not ready to do so. In a statement, it said that there was still considerable refurbishment work to be done before it could start operating again. [/restrict]