Abuja- The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has assured air travellers that the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for the purpose of maintenance will not exceed six weeks.
The Minister who made the declaration on Friday when he received the Coalition of Civil Society Group, stressed that the maintenance is supposed to last for six months but the airport would be closed for six weeks and will not extend to a day more.
He assured that the process is well thought out as other options that have been considered are not the right options, stressing that the part chosen is the only way to rehabilitate the runway.
According to him; “It is a job of six months, the procurement, start to finish but within this six months, there will be six weeks closure of the Abuja run way, we will close it, working day and night to ensure we finish in six weeks, it will be six weeks alone and not six weeks and a day more”
Sirika stressed that the repairs are apt as the runway is a disaster waiting to happen, adding that he would not fold his hands and watch such disaster unfold while he superintend.
While commenting on a letter from an affiliate of the coalition, Centre for Joint Action Against Under Development in Africa which pointed at him as one of the Ministers causing retrogressive growth to the country, he noted that the judgement is unfolded and a verdict passed out of imagination.
He however advised the Civil Society groups to take their purpose of establishment seriously by being precise and detailed and to allege based on facts and not mere allegations.
Earlier, The President, Coalition of Civil Society Group,Mr Etuk Bassey stated that the key agenda of the visit was to know about the happenings in the Aviation sector, what the Ministry is doing in regards to the deplorable state of the runway as well as programmes and projects.
While noting that the the ministerial score card of the Aviation Minister is critical to the group,he added that the outcome of the visit will be related to the grassroot and other CSOs.
