Nigeria Not The First Country To Close An Airport, Fashola Tells Senate
Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works, Power and Housing[/caption]
The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has restated that the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, Abuja has to be shut down to enable the planned repairs, adding that Nigeria is not the first country to close an airport.
Recall that the Aviation Ministry had announced that the airport will be shut for six weeks starting from March to allow repairs on the runway, a decision that has been met with stiff resistance in some quarters.
The ministry said that all flights would be diverted to Kaduna airport within that period.
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Fashola, who was speaking while he appeared before the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, said there was no other option but to close the airport.
Minister for State on Aviation, Hadi Sirika, President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Otis Anyaeji and a representative of Julius Berger also appeared before the senate to answer questions as regard the issue.
Defending his opinion, Fashola said, “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.”
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He said the contract for the rehabilitation of the Kaduna-Abuja express way had been given out and contractors were already on site.
“They said the road would be 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,” Fashola said.
On his part, Otis argued that the work on the runway could be done in segments.
“The total shutdown if the airport 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.
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“It is possible to carry out the proposed rehabilitation without shutting down the airport, the issue is not technical but managerial. The runway should be rehabilitated in segments,” he said.
“This has been done in the UK Gatwick airport, action should be commenced in the second runway.”
