Proposed Airport Closure: Senate Drills Minister …Runway Repairs To Gulp N5.8bn

The Federal Government yesterday revealed that it will spend N5.8billion on  repair works on the runway of  Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport , Abuja, within  six weeks during which the Airport would be shut down.
The Minister of State  for Aviation, Hadi Sirika,  told the Senate that the said amount  would  be spent  on reconstruction of the runway, including the shoulder of the runway, which he said has damaged greatly because it has exceeded its lifespan and other expenditures attached to the maintenance  work and relocation  to the temporary servicing airport in Kaduna.
According  to the Minister, part of the money would be spent on the movement of security personnel; including immigration officers, civil defence officers, anti-drug agents (NDLEA), equipment, airport facilities, including aircraft hangers, and helicopters, from Abuja to the Kaduna Airport  .
On other available  options outside the closure of the Abuja Airport , the minister told the law makers that other options before the Ministry of Aviation, are  temporary closure, sectional repairs and regulation of the size of the aircraft using the runway but noted  that it is safer to reconstruct the whole runway because most of the sections of the runway had totally collapsed.
He explained that the runways link each other and therefore, when virtually all the linking sections have dilapidated, it is as good as saying the entire runway had collapsed, adding that the option which the ministry has taken is in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard.
Srika said the ministry has also done integrity test to ensure that the works conform with standard.
The  minister also blamed the Minister of Aviation in the last administration for not carrying out the  reconstruction of  the runway, saying it would have saved the country of the present stress.
He maintained  that the closure would last for six weeks while the entire work would take six months to complete.
While he told the Senate that the government has also released funds to reconstruct the runway in the Enugu International Airport, he said work has reached advanced stage, and would be completed soon, adding that the country cannot afford two runways now due to the harsh economic situation.
Reacting to the Minister’ s remarks, some of the Senators queried why the repair of the runway should take up to six weeks, arguing that such  work  can take just about two weeks.
The Senate however couldn’t conclude hearing on the issues surrounding  the proposed closure as the Minister couldn’t produce some important  information’s demanded by the Senators and therefore,  postponed the hearing to Tuesday next week.
The Minister is expected to appear before the Senate alongside the Minister of Works and Housing ,  the  Chief of Air staff, the Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN and NAMA next Tuesday .
Recall that Senate on Tuesday summoned  the Minister of Transportion, Rotimi Amaechi , Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Serika and the Minister of Work, Power and Housing, Babatude Fasola,  over the decision to  totally shutdown Abuja Airport and divert flights to Kaduna.
The decision of the senate followed a motion by senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West), and Deputy Senate President, lke Ekweremadu (Enugu West) in this regard.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja