Senate Maintains Opposition On Closure Of Abuja Airport

The Senate has maintained its opposition on the planned closure of the Abuja airport for repairs which are scheduled to last six weeks.

Speaking on Channels Telvision’s breakfast program Sunrise Daily, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, insists the lawmakers were yet to be convinced about the plans to provide adequate security and welfare for passengers.

According to him critical stakeholders in the industry including the National Assembly, were also not consulted in the decision to close the airport for repairs.

He however explained that the fact that a public hearing was held and stakeholders were invited, to explain their reasons, shows that the senate is indeed interested in considering all angles before taking a unified and final position.

Meanwhile, rehabilitation of the Kaduna Airport as an alternative for the Abuja airport, has begun.

On Thursday, Minister of State for Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika, told the Senate that it would be unsafe to continue to operate in the Abuja Airport, as there had been daily incidents on the runway.