Osinbajo assures of timely completion of Abuja Airport runway repairs

…. Runway 80% completed
Vice president Prof Yemi Osinbajo has affirmed that the ongoing rehabilitation work on the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja runway will be completed at the stipulated time of 19th April, 2017 just as it was disclosed that the work has reached an 80 per cent completion level.
Osinbajo gave the assurances at a media tour of the ongoing work at the Abuja Airport runway.
He said ” I have looked round and from what I have seen and also from the Information from contractors and consultants, it looks as if things are going very well and we are told that we are now nearing 80 percent completion and that we are clearly on schedule. “So, we expect to see that this will be completed well on schedule and i don’t think we should expect any delay whatsoever and we have assurances from the consultant, contractors that we are clearly on schedule.
“So, by the 19th of April, the runway will be set. I have no reservations and looking at all of this and inspecting it and listening to contractors, personnel from FAAN and the ministry of Transportation and Aviation, I think a lot of work has gone in here, the contractors were doing 24 hours shift, working round the clock literally . I think they have taken the job very seriously and we expect to see that the work will be completed and done by the 19th as promised.”
Giving a breakdown of the completion level of the various elements of the rehabilitation work, Managing Director, FAAN Saleh Dunoma disclosed that while the overall completion of the work stood at 80 per cent, the Asphalt laying is about 73 per cent and air field lighting re-installation at 40 per cent.
” The next critical item is marking which will start on Monday but it is not a critical element per say and of course general cleaning because at the end of the day, our regulator will have to come and certify what we have done and then we will be ready for opening on the 19th,” he added On the work that is ongoing at the terminal, Dunoma said FAAN seized the opportunity of the closure to rehabilitate the terminal building and the plan is to ensure that when the airport reopens for traffic on the 19th, the terminal building repairs would have been completed.
“We are ceasing this opportunity of empty building to make sure that we rehabilitate the entire terminal building and that includes all the facilities that are there; mechanical, electrical and civil.” he explained while also assuring Nigerians of its determination to meet the reopening deadline, he opined that to avoid a shutdown of any airport across the country in the future,, there was need to build a second runway.
“I am assuring Nigerians that April 19th remains sacrosanct, you have seen how far we have gone and we are pushing and I want to assure Nigerians that come 19th, we will reopen for traffic,” he said.