Senate fails to stop closure of Abuja airport

The Senate on Tuesday failed to stop the planned closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for the rehabilitation of the runway of the airport.
At a resumed hearing on the proposed closure on Tuesday, the Senate said that it would have preferred segmented repairs of the runway to avoid a total closure of the airport.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who presided over Senate plenary told the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola and Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika that although “Senate prefers segmented repairs of the runway to avoid total closure, the Ministry of Aviation could take a decision based on advice by stakeholders.”
Ekweremadu added, “Final decision is yours and you will also take responsibility. While you take final decision, endeavour to take note of our concerns and the concerns of other stakeholder.
“Also take into consideration the position of local and foreign airlines that they would have preferred continued use of the airport while repair is going on.”
While Sirika and Fashola insisted that there was no alternative to shutting down the airport to ensure proper rehabilitation of the runway, the Nigeria Society of Engineer (NSE) disagreed.
The NSE said that its meeting with the relevant agencies confirmed that it is possible to carry out the proposed reconstruction of the runway without shutting down the airport.
Julius Berger, scheduled to handle the repair works, backed the government’s position that the airport be shut.
The construction giant told the Senate that the only way to ensure holistic repairs was to shut down the airport