SAN FRANCISCO, January 17, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Senate has suspended its opposition to the planned closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for six weeks for repairs of its only runway.
The closure of the airport, which is scheduled to start on March 8, 2017, is for a rehabilitation project that will last six months. The facility will however be reopened after six weeks, even as all flights would be diverted to Kaduna airport within that period.
The Senate made its position known on Tuesday after a special session on the closure of the airport, where it listened to the views of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, and the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, Otis Anyaeji.
They were joined at the special session by the Minister for State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, and the Managing Director of Julius Berger, Wolfgang Goetsch.
While the lawmakers expressed their reservations with the diversion of flights from Abuja to Kaduna, they called on the Federal Government to put all pieces of advice given on the matter into consideration.
The decision of the federal government to shut the airport for six weeks over repairs on the runway has been met with stiff resistance in some quarters. Some stakeholders have advised the government to consider carrying out the repairs without closing the airport in the nation’s capital.
But Fashola told those opposed to the closure that Nigeria is not the first country to close an airport, stressing that there was no other option but to close the airport.
Disagreeing with the minister, Anyaeji argued that runway repairs could be done without a total closure of the airport.
According to Fashola, “It is runway of the airport that needs to be closed because it isn’t safe, it is a matter of immense public safety.
“Right to life means nothing if government does not prevent loss of lives… Nigeria is not the first country to close an airport and divert traffic to another city, Manila has done it.”
He said the contract for the rehabilitation of the Kaduna-Abuja express way had been given out and contractors were already on site.
The minister continued, “They said the road would finished in 50 days, though they are asking of advance of more than 50 percent, they have not been paid but their presence is visible on the road.
“Minna is shorter distance, but my humble submission is that Kaduna Abuja highway lends itself to the situation. They would be inconvenience and I sympathise with those who would be travelling.”
On his part, the NSE President submitted that the work on the runway could be done in segments.
His words, “The total shutdown if the air port is liking shutting down Nigeria,” he said, suggesting that smaller aircraft could use the Abuja airport, while bigger ones could be diverted to another location.
“It is possible to carry out the proposed rehabilitation without shutting down the airport, the issue is not technical but managerial. The runaway should be rehabilitated in segments.
“This has been done in the UK Gatwick airport, action should be commenced in the second runway.”
