President Mohammadu Buhari has approved the repairs of the failed portions of the Abuja Airport runway and reconstruction of the overdue runway as the federal government would soon contract the major reconstruction out.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika in Abuja yesterday, after he inspected the failed portions of the runway, informed that his ministry had approached the office of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to fast-track the process for onward repairs.
The Minister told Journalists that the the federal government cannot continue to fund the nation’s airports including the Abuja airport except to adopt for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for the country’s airports. Sirika said that the approval would follow due process which might take a while but stated that a Transaction Adviser would be engaged to undertake the entire process from bidding to contracting the reconstruction of the runway. “The President has asked for the immediate and quick short term repairs to be able to put the runway into use.
I had to brief him that we had to shorten the runway from 3.6 kilometres to 2.2 to avoid the failed section for a number of days. We are happy that some repairs have been carried out, he said.”
“The President has approved that funds be immediately be made available for major repairs in the interim before complete overall rehabilitation of the runway will be carried out.” In order to fast-track the implementation of the directive of Mr. President on the runway repairs, the minister said six local contractors had come to inspect the runway, adding that the one that eventually give value for money would be selected to carry out the rehabilitation task.
He said,”The focus of this Administration is to ensure that our air transportation as well as other means of transportation in the country, is highly secured and safe.” He said that there had not been any major repair on the runway since it was constructed in 1982 which ordinarily was to last for only 20 years, adding that since the 20 years elapsed in 2002, nor serious repairs had been carried out.
“This cannot be achieved without having certain things in place and working in perfect condition.
For instance, the Abuja airport was built in 1982 and the runway was designed and constructed to last for 20 years.” Sirika, “Although some major repairs which had prompted the shortening of the runway in the last few days had been carried out, efforts had reached top gear to commence total overall and rehabilitation of the 34years old runway.”
It will be recalled that the airport management had, in the last few days, closed than some taxi areas in the Nnmadi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja due to the failure of some portions on the runway, thereby keeping certain aircrafts that require longer runway out of operation. He said that there had not been any major repair on the runway since it was constructed in 1982 which ordinarily was to last for only 20 years, adding that since the 20 years elapsed in 2002, nor serious repairs had been carried out.
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