Abuja Airport Shut To Repair ‘Potholes’ On Runway, Says Sen. Uzodinma

Senator Hope Ozodinma (PDP, Imo), has explained that
the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja was shut to allow for
maintenance of the runway.
Uzodinma, who
is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, said
this while fielding questions from State House
Correspondents after a meeting with President Goodluck
Jonathan.
According to him, the airport, which will be closed from
midnight on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Monday, is to allow
construction giant, Julius Berger, fix the pot holes
noticed on the runway.
"This was done for obvious safety reasons. We have
some potholes that are already seen as serious hazards.
And don't forget that is the only runway that lands our
President, all the VIPs, all the investors that come into
this country", he said.
He also said the closure will allow for a technical audit by
the Federal Aviation Authority, FAA, in keeping with
international regulations.
The senator, however, faulted the public outcry over the
closure of the airport, saying it was not peculiar to
Nigeria.
"Well, all over the world, they know that we have one
runway in Abuja. The next thing anybody can do is to
look for the nearest airport close to Abuja either Kaduna
or Minna and then chose whether it will make a better
business sense to land there or not to fly at all.
"And whatever may be the case between midnight
Saturday and Monday, it's not something anybody can
cry about. All over the world, airports and runways are
usually closed whenever there are obvious maintenance
programmes that bother on safety. So, our own should
not be an exception", he said.
Senator Uzodinma said there will be no national carrier
as government could no longer run businesses meant for
the private sector.
"For us to have a national Carrier, it is an airline that
government must own 100 percent and I doubt whether
the government has the managerial and technical
capability to begin to float an airline in an economy that
is being privatized. Rather, it can copy from the United
States, France, Britain where they have national flag
carrier.
"In this situation, what happens is that private people
will own the airline and government will continue to
support and then they will carry our flag. It is important
to see an airline that is carrying our flag", he said.