Ministers visit 2nd Abuja Airport runway site

By Stanley Onyekwere

Both Ministers of FCT and Aviation, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello and Senator Hadi Sirika have paid a visit to the construction site of the 2nd runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, and charged the construction company in charge of the project to double its efforts and ensure its completion by the May 29th handover date.

This was disclosed in a statement from Director of Press, Office of the FCT Minister, Anthony Ogunleye, which was made available yesterday to the PeoplesDaily.

Describing the project as a legacy project, whose scope went far beyond the runway alone, the Aviation Minister while thanking the FCT Minister for the allocation of 12,000 hectares of land, said the project was actually an aviation city containing everything a modern city has including hotels, shopping malls, schools, cinemas and hospitals; an Aerotropolis.

Designated as a Free Trade Zone, Senator Sirika said the project will tremendously boost economic activities not just in the FCT but across the country, stressing that the facilities will also include a cargo hub and also serve as the hub for the national carrier.

The Aviation City, the Aviation Minister also said will also serve as a base for the aviation leasing company and it already had within it the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau offices.

Also speaking, the Project Consultant, Engr R. Baba said that the 2nd runway was a 4.2 kilometer stretch and will contain all modern associated facilities, including a CAT III ILS landing aid that will enable aircrafts land with minimal visibility and other facilities like a new control tower and fire station.

The Chief of Jiwa Dr Musa Idris, who was also present during the site visit, said that the indigenous community will cooperate with the Administration for the construction of the 2nd runway project and the Aviation City.

He said that enumeration has been carried out on the land acquired for the project, save for 20 hectares and urged that compensation be paid to the communities.

In his remarks, the FCT Minister pledged the Administrations total support for the project and said that the indigenous communities and people stood to benefit the most from the project as it will bring about huge economic activities and employment opportunities to the people.

While urging the contractor to work round the clock to ensure its completion on schedule, he said that all matters of compensation will be handled by the FCT Administration as it has a robust resettlement and compensation Department with the requisite experience of over 40 years in such matters.

In the words of the Minister,

“We have a standard procedure for compensation and never in the history of the FCT has issues of compensation stopped a project”.

He thereafter called on the Chief of Jiwa to continue to provide the needed leadership to ensure that the project is successful, saying that it was “a golden opportunity to be part and parcel of a legacy project that will transform the social, economic and political landscape of the FCT”.

He further assured that the project will not be hindered in any form as all stakeholders including the traditional authorities were committed to its success.

Also present at the site visit were the Executive Secretary of the FCDA, Engr Shehu Hadi Ahmed, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole the FCT Commissioner of Police Abubakar Sadiq, the State Director of the DSS Mr Ado Muazu, the SSA to FCT on Security Amb. A.S Muhammed and other senior officials of the FCTA and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.