The timely completion of the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, runway that paved the way for the
re-opening of the airport,
after a six-week closure, has
shown the ability of the Buhari Administration to rise up to any occasion,
irrespective of how
daunting the challenge may be.
In a statement issued in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, on Wednesday, the Minister described as a remarkable achievement
the ability of the
government to complete the
total reconstruction of the runway within the stipulated time, despite doomsday
predictions.
He said the clock-work
precision with which everything concerning the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport and the temporary relocation to the Kaduna Airport was
handled by the relevant ministries and the security agencies is the clearest
indication yet that Nigeria can tackle any challenge.
Alhaji Mohammed noted that the
rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna road by the Ministry of Power, Works and
Housing, the provision of
non-invasive but effective
security along the highway by the security agencies and the perfect handling,
by the Ministry of Transportation,
of the massive logistics
involved in ensuring that the Kaduna Airport was able to handle such a large
number of flights, all showed that Nigerians have what it takes to make the
country a proud member of the comity of nations.
The statement further says it
is to the credit of the security agencies and the Federal Road Safety Corps
that passengers travelling along the ever-busy Abuja-Kaduna highway were
largely kept safe while the closure of the Abuja airport lasted.
There was no known security
scare while accidents on the road were kept at the barest minimum, despite the
increased vehicular traffic.‎
Indeed, the closure of the
Abuja airport runway and the logistic nightmare it triggered must rank among
the most intimidating challenges faced by this Administration.
It’s ability to live up to
expectation by delivering the project even before the scheduled date has
further confirmed that Nigerians elected a responsive, responsible and capable
federal government in 2015 Lai Mohammed maintained.
The Minister reminded those
who might want to trivialize the feat that what could not be done, in the over
30 years that the Abuja airport runway was left to deteriorate to the level of
near failure, was achieved in just six weeks by a determined Administration
even under an economic recession.
He also recalled that the Port
Harcourt International Airport was closed for almost two years, a shameful
development, at a time the
country was witnessing a more
favourable economic situation.
Lai Mohammed thanked Nigerians
for enduring the inconveniences that came with the relocation of Abuja flights
to Kaduna, the Ethiopian
Airline that operated its
scheduled Abuja flights to Kaduna when other international carriers turned
their back, and the Julius Berger construction company that worked day and
night to deliver the project before schedule.
The success recorded in the
timely reconstruction of the Abuja airport runway can only rank next to the
determined effort with which the federal government contained the Boko Haram
insurgency.
We assure Nigerians that this
Administration is employing the same uncommon determination to tackle all the
challenges facing the country, including pervasive corruption, insecurity,
unemployment, infrastructural decay as well as the general economy.
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