THE Federal Government has promised to deliver the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) within 12 months.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, who stated this during the inspection of facilities at the Abuja airport, announced that the government had resolved the lingering issues on community compensation which had impeded commencement of the initiative.
“On the second runway, I have to go and meet the FCT minister to clear the obstacle on the way. As at today, the report I have is that the communities have started receiving the money we disbursed.
“The Chinese company handling the project said it would clear the place next week and move to the site. So, we are going to invite Mr President to come and commission it.
“For Abuja as a capital city, it is extremely important that I work with relevant agencies and the National Assembly to make sure we deliver the project within 12 months,” Keyamo said.
The minister, while acknowledging that the project had been a controversial since the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, however, described the second runway and ancillary facilities project as low hanging fruit, adding that the project would serve as an alternative to the first runway in the airport.
Keyamo said government would also intensify efforts to improve on chillers, lifts and escalators at the nation’s airports.
According to him, passengers’ interest is basically on conducive environment at the airport.
“Both locally and internationally, what passengers want to see are three things: good chillers; they want to come into a conducive atmosphere. They also want to see that the lifts are working. The third one is effective escalators.
“These are the problems our airports are facing. Even this new facility, I understand only four of the chillers are working.
“I have told them that my mentality to some of those things is that, for example, most of the chillers that are obsolete, instead of fixing them repeatedly, we will buy new ones.
“Cost of fixing them like three times, can buy a new one. There are good brands all over the world. Let us buy high quality lifts. The ones I saw here are not good enough.
“I know about lifts. I will not be here and going to buy substandard lifts. Lift is not what you just buy weekly. I will not be spending money repairing them every two months,” he said.
