The Federal Government has said the measures put in place to ensure
comfort and safety of travellers using the Kaduna International
Airport are working satisfactorily.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated
this in Abuja on Tuesday after leading a team of 40 Journalists on a
tour of the Train Terminal in Abuja and the Kaduna International
Airport.
“We set out this morning to show you how the train service works, some
experiencing it for the very first time. We saw first hand how
passengers transfer from the Tarmac to Abuja either by train or by
coach and we all came back (to Abuja) by road. You saw the level of
security all along the way. I am very satisfied with all the
measures,” he said
Alhaji Mohammed said a lot of planning and innovation have gone into
making the Kaduna International Airport a viable alternative to the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, adding that some of the
challenges being experienced have been anticipated because of the
diversion of the huge volume of air traffic to Kaduna.
”But Nigerians have risen to the challenge to ensure seamless
operation at the airport,” he said.
The Minister therefore appealed to Nigerians to be patient, as two
weeks have already elapsed from the six weeks earmarked for the
reconstruction of the runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport in Abuja.
“The issue is not whether Abuja Airport has failed or whether we have
to close the airport temporarily. The issue is have we done all
that is necessary to ensure minimal disruption to airline services, to
ensure minimal inconvenience for passengers and members of the public
and to ensure security of lives and ensure that safety is paramount?
“I think I will answer the four questions in the affirmative, that we
have done all that ought to be done within a very short time to
provide these. It’s not a perfect situation. In other words, there is
no way we can replicate Abuja in Kaduna within the time frame, but if
the objective is to ensure seamless operation and minimal disruption
to services, absolute safety and security, I think we have done
well,” he said.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi
Sirika, said the measures that have been put in place for seamless air
operation in Kaduna include construction of the perimetre fencing and
roads, installation of instrument landing system, completion of the
terminal building, fixing of runway markings, deployment of Mobile
Control Tower, designation of the Hajj Terminal for domestic
passengers and the Terminal Building for International Passengers, and
provision of buses to take passengers from Abuja to Kaduna.
The team of Journalists led by the Minister of Information and Culture
inspected the Railway Terminal at Idu on the outskirts of Abuja before
departing by rail to Kaduna, where the team also inspected the Port
Health Section, VIP lounge, Immigration and Customs.
After the inspection in Kaduna, the team returned to Abuja by road in
order to experience first-hand the level of security along the
Kaduna-Abuja highway.
