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Tag: Babatunde Fashola

  • FG to add 340 megawatts to power grid before December – Fashola

    FG to add 340 megawatts to power grid before December – Fashola

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing said on Thursday that 340 megawatts of electricity would be added to the national grid in or before December.

    Fashola said this during his inspection tour of Afam Power Plant in Oyibo local government area of Rivers as part of Federal Government Power Sector Recovery Programme.

    He said the 340 megawatts of electricity would be generated from Afam power plant alone while another 270 megawatts would be generated from same facility before end of 2018.

    According to him, the Afam facility has about 1,000 megawatts of installed capacity which has underperformed due to years of neglect by previous governments.

    “Afam 1 to 5 power plants is currently producing about 100 megawatts which is as a result of failure to maintain the facility over the years.

    “We are here to assess the progress of the work we have been doing in the last 17 to 18 months aimed to get the facility back to its optimum capacity.

    “The Afam 5 plant is currently being rehabilitated in collaboration with General Electric to restore 240 megawatts to the facility.

    “All the turbine and equipment needed for the project are already in the country while the only challenge we are facing is the access road, logistic and few other things that we came to assess.

    “We think that we will add 240 megawatts and another 100 megawatts before December with addition of 276 megawatts in 2018 from Afam power plant alone,” he said.

    Fashola said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration inherited debt running into billions owed to companies which supplied gas to power plants in the country.

    He said the Federal Executive Council approved N701 billion in March with focus to settle the debts through a Power Payment Assurance Programme arrangement with gas companies.

    The minister said the federal government was discussing with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to separate old debts under the power payment assurance programme initiative that would ensure availability of gas.

    “Now that there is a payment assurance programme we are assuring that every gas that would be supplied to Afam and others would be paid for.

    “General Electric has come in to invest in power while we equally want more investors because there is a lot of gas deposit to tap from,” he said.

    Fashola said that government had engaged the World Bank and other development partners aimed to successful implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Programme.

    He said that the dilapidated Bodo-Bonny road in Rivers was among several road projects that would soon be addressed as soon as budget was signed.

  • Senate summon of Fashola on road to NLNG, Bonny

    Senate summon of Fashola on road to NLNG, Bonny

    The Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, has assured that the road from Bodo-Ogoni in Gokana Local Government Area to Bonny Island, the base of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company in Rivers State will surely be delivered by the Federal Government, with the construction to start this year.

    Fashola spoke Thursday during his inspection visit to the famous Afam Power Station, built in 1962, in Oyigbo LGA of Rivers state, against the backdrop of his being summoned by the Senate on why work had not commenced on the Bodo-Bonny road and the ministry’s refusal to partner NLNG on the project.

    The minister, who was accompanied by the Managing Director of Afam power station, Olumide Obademi, an engineer and other stakeholders, assured that he would honour the invitation of the Senate, but indicated that he had not received the summons, while stressing that the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was committed to constructing the strategic road, thereby ending the dangerous journey by water, capsizing of boats and attack on travellers by sea pirates.

    Fashola said: “I will go (to the Senate). I have not received the summons. Bodo-Bonny Road is on our programme. The partnership is on. What we have seen is that there were some issues with the budget. They were resolved last night (Wednesday) at a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly. So that the Federal Government can put its own counterpart funding with the NLNG.

    “We are working with the contractor. I met with the contractor last week. People should be patient. We will deliver on the Bodo-Bonny Road. The contract has not been awarded.

    “We need to see the final framework, when the contract is awarded. That will not happen, until we have a budget. You cannot award contact without budget. Hopefully, we will start this year.”

    The minister also disclosed that there were some issues at the Afam power station, which started out with 20 megawatts, but had grown from a small power station to a very large power station of almost 1,000 megawatts.

    He said: “With almost 1,000 megawatts installed, but now a little over 120 megawatts. We are now only able to produce 100 megawatts, which is as a result of failure to maintain over the years. Even the Afam 5 that was built in 2001, maintenance failure really crippled in. There is a lot of power here (Afam Power Station). We want to get the station back to optimum capacity.

    “At Afam 3, General Electric (GE) is installing 240 megawatts. All the turbines and equipment needed for the project are already in Nigeria. The Afam community has been wonderful. We have had peace here. Before the end of this year, we should add 240 megawatts to the 100 megawatts from here, as part of our incremental power initiative. We also have another 276 megawatts combined, which will happen in the next 12 to 16 months.

    “We are having issue with gas in Afam Power Station. Before Buhari’s government came on board, there had been a lot of debt owed to all the gas companies. They are saying if we do not pay, no more fuel. Gas is our fuel. We also approved the Power Payment Assurance Programme of N701 billion in March. We are telling the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) to let us separate the previous debt and create a programme to deal with it under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Programme. Every gas supplied now will be paid for. We currently have 100 megawatts in Afam power station, which we cannot even evacuate, because there is no gas to fire it.

    “We want more investors here (Afam Power Station). There is a lot of gas here. General Electric (GE) has come here on the strength of that. We want to encourage the GE project, which was led by President Buhari last year. Work has started. People are employed.”

    Faahola also reiterated that President Buhari launched an Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, which he described as the policy, stressing that the programme to deliver it is the Power Sector Recovery Programme, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council, involving a lot of policies and actions, including payments.

    He said: “Government is beginning to implement the programme (in the power sector). Payment Assurance Programme is part of it. My trip to Washington to negotiate with the World Bank is part of it. The constitution of the institutional boards, the new chairman-designate of National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), which is pending before the Senate, is part of it. The reconstitution of the Rural Electrification Agency is part of it.

    “We are beginning to implement all the policy actions and programmes. It is a journey. It is not an event. If you are looking for an event, then you are not looking for power. It is a journey. We will get to many bus stops.”

    The minister, while commenting on the alleged neglect of federal roads in Rivers state, noted that the Federal Government was building the Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu dual carriageway, a federal road.

    Fashola stated that the reason the Buhari’s administration was reconstructing the Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu expressway was because it was in bad shape, declaring that the government inherited the bad-shaped road.

     

  • Fashola calls for teamwork among agencies

    Fashola calls for teamwork among agencies

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has called for team work among departments and agencies under in the ministry to ensure better service delivery.

    Fashola made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the opening of a three-day retreat organized for heads of the ministry’s departments and agencies.

    He said that the retreat was organized to foster relationship among participants, and urged the directors to take advantage of the forum to improve their performances and be acquainted to each other.

    He advocated regular retreat for the ministry, saying that it would enhance teamwork needed to achieve its tasks.

    “This retreat is an opportunity for us to exchange our emails and telephone numbers because service delivery is more difficult if we cannot identify ourselves.

    “We must see ourselves as one of the privileged few that determine what affects the entire citizens of the country and to achieve our targets, we must apply civility and courtesy.

    “Our responsibility as government is to understand that we are serving the entire public, starting from the lowest on the street to the highest,” the minister said.

    He stated that the ministry had the highest fiscal allocation in the 2016 budget, because its services had the greatest impact on lives of citizens.

    “We must set out targets to get maximum value for our budgetary allocation, and to do this, we must understand that maximum value is not a destination but a journey.

    “We must understand that the performance of any government is measured by the prosperity of human lives,” he added.

    Some of the participants, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the retreat was a step in the right direction considering the need to know each other as colleagues.

    Mr Olatunji Ajayi, a director in the ministry said the forum had availed him the opportunity to meet other directors he had never met in the ministry.

    Ajayi commended the minister for putting up the programme and called for regular meeting of participants for performance evaluation and knowledge sharing.

  • Fashola urges journalists to ignore fake information

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, has called on journalists to come up with solutions to address the challenges of fake news dissemination in the country.

    Fashola made the call when Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) led by its Chairman, Mr Adewumi Faniran visited him in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Fashola said the visit was timely, considering the need to address the problems of fake news dissemination, adding that the media was an indispensable tool for securing democratic institution.

    “We grew up in era when news was news; we are now in an era where we are learning how to deal with fake news and how to fight fake news.

    “I spent the last few days listening to features on global television teaching people how to identify fake news.

    “So, I challenge you to find a solution that works to address the ugly trend”, he said.

    The minister pledged the commitment his ministry to do its best to implement the policies and programmes of the Federal Government to better the lots of Nigerians.

    He said the ministry had contributed its own share to the development of the country by implementing the 2016 budget to the best it could with the resources available to it.

    “For road projects that were stopped because of funding, as I speak to you, contractors are back to site across the country.

    “In the housing sector, we are constructing prototype housing under the National Housing Programme in 33 states of the federation”, he added.

    Eralier, Faniran told the minster that the visit was in line with the policy of the new executive of the council to visit notable Nigerians especially eminent sons and daughters of the South-West.

    He commended the minster for the achievement recorded in the areas of road, housing and power supply since his appointment.

    “We have been monitoring your activities and are convinced that you are on the right path.

    “With the efforts you are making to bring sanity and development to the sectors under your watch, we are sure that at the end of the day, Nigerians will have reasons to commend you”, he said.

     

  • Jubilation, excitement greet news of Calabar-Itu reconstruction project

    Jubilation, excitement greet news of Calabar-Itu reconstruction project

    Jubilation, excitement and high expectations have greeted the news of the award of the contract of the Calabar-Itu High in Cross River state.

    The Ministers of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had on Wednesday announced that N54.172 billion has been approved for Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene route linking Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

    The Calabar-Itu road, one of two roads, which lead out of the state, has been in a deplorable state for almost thirty years.

    The other road, the Calabar-Ikom-Obudu-Ogoja Highway still remains in poor condition.

    The Calabar-Itu Road, which appears to be most strategic and economically viable of these two as it the shortest route to other South-South and South-East states, was worse off.

    Besides the accidents that occur on the road and lives lost frequently, it is often that commuters have had to spend days on the road because of trucks that fall, causing serious traffic jams.

    Due to the state of the roads, residents have always felt like they are being cut off from the rest of the country.

    Constant protests, pleadings, petitions and news reports among others have over the years done nothing to attract relevant authorities to do something about the situation.

    Only last year, the Niger Delta Development Commission carried out remedial work on the road, by resurfacing it, alleviating the sufferings of the people a bit.

    But following the announcement of the award of contract of the reconstruction of the road to Julius Berger, there has been renewed hope and excitement among residents and commuters.

    Mr Uche Emeka, who works for a transport agency however begged the government to ensure that the project is seen through.

    “We in the transport business are so happy with this development. You know how the situation has been with us. A journey of one hour to Uyo was taking up to two whole days or even more. You are aware of the accidents, broken down vehicles and people sleeping on the road and exposed to all manner of dangers. We thank God for the remedial work they did last year, but that road, as we know needs total reconstruction. We thank God that he has finally brought someone that has listened to our cries. The benefit of that road when completed cannot be quantified. If I want to talk of the benefits, I will fill up your newspaper. So I only want to say we are grateful to this government and beg them to please ensure it is done.”

    A businessman, Chukwudi Okafor, also said, “The advantage of that road cannot be overestimated. Naturally prices of things would go down when it is completed. Going to Aba, Onitsha and others to get goods to bring down here to sell has been a nightmare on that road. Travelling became a nightmare and for those of us who depend on the road to survive daily, our suffering was unbearable. We have cried over the years and nothing has happened and now we are receiving news that it is going to be constructed. I can only say thank God and thank this government. The only advice I have is that they should please not abandon it. They have raised our hopes and they should not leave us hanging.

    “For me I want to believe that they are serious this time because for any persons that gives a contract to Julius Berger, it means such a person is serious about what he is doing. We are so happy.”

    A resident of Calabar, “Mr Asuquo Effiong also said, “We are so favoured to have this government. In spite of all the negativity this government is getting especially from this part of the country they are still going ahead to make our lives better. I only plead that that road should be completed. I would not bother you with how we have suffered on that road. Even you Mr Journalist, I am sure you have also suffered trying to bring in your newspaper through that road. So you see, it is a problem that has affected everyone one of us enormously. So I am begging you, keep writing and disturbing them until that road is completed. Do not allow them to rest until the job is delivered.

    “My only other plea is that the Calabar-Ikom-Obudu-Ogoja road and the Calabar-Ikang road, which are also in deplorable conditions, should also receive the same treatment. If the Federal Government would do this for us, we would eternally remain grateful.”

    National Vice Chairman (South South Zone) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ntufam Hilliard Eta has described the approval of the N54billion Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Highway reconstruction by the Federal Executive Council as a demonstration of the APC led government commitment to religiously fulfill its part of the social contract with the people of the South South Zone of the country.

    Eta who reacted to news of the approval in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Bassey Ita said the APC leadership under President Muhammadu Buhari had assured the people of the area of fixing basic infrastructures that will improve on their living conditions.

    ”During the campaigns we had assured of our Government’s commitment to improved living conditions through infrastructural development for the people of the South South and Niger Delta as a whole.

    ”The approval of the reconstruction work on the Calabar – Itu – Ikot Ekpene Highway is therefore a step in the direction of fulfilling that promise,” he said.

    According to him, much as political parties canvass for support and votes from the electorate, it is the duty of the government in power to keep its side of the social contract for getting their votes.

    He said with this development, President Muhammadu Buhari has further up his integrity rating as a promise keeper adding that the people of the area are eternally grateful to the APC government to support it for optimal and more tangible results.

    Eta expressed the confidence that the highway when completed will boost the socio economic growth and development of the area.

    He recalled that prior to the approval, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, had remediated the poor condition of the highway.

    Eta urged the people of the South-South and the entire Niger Delta to embrace peace and dialogue as a way of reciprocating the Federal Government’s commitment to their welfare.

     

  • Fashola challenges CORBON to end building collapse

    Fashola challenges CORBON to end building collapse

    …Says collapse has reached embarrassing proportion

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola Thursday challenged the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) to end incessant building collapse in the country.

    Fashola said during the council’s 15th induction ceremony, held in Abuja that the situation had reached an embarrassing proportion, thus needed a complete overhaul.

    He stated that since the Council was vested with the mandate to determine what standard of knowledge and skills necessary to practice, CORBON should be responsible to regulate and control the practice of the building profession.

    Fashola said: “There is no doubt that the Nigerian construction industry has grown in size and complexity, and indeed recorded giant strides in national development. However, it is sad to note that cases of shoddy works and defective buildings still traverse the landscape, and this has become a plague agitating the minds of Nigerians.

    “In worst case scenarios, these have led to the collapse of buildings, loss of lives and investments. It must. Be admitted that building collapse is not limited to Nigeria alone or the developing economies, but the scope and frequency of the menace is our country has reached quite embarrassing proportions.”

    However, he challenged the council to develop for implementation, effective strategies and framework including benchmarks to ensure the project quality management plan of building in the country is rightly applied.

    In his remark, the Chairman of CORBON, Prof. Bala Kabir admitted that the built industry had over the years bedevilled with challenges of poor quality delivery and incessant building collapses.

    He said this had resulted to loss of lives, properties with huge economic losses.

    However, Kabir restated mandate of the council to include the establishment and implementation of academic building standards as well as practice.

    He added that CORBON is charged to regulate the activities of builders through registration and issuing of licenses.

    “We accredit educational institutions, programs for training of builders and discipline registered and license holders,” he said.

    The Guest Speaker, Prof. Akin Akindoyeni urged the National Assembly to strengthen the council through legislative frameworks to end quackery and building collapse in the country.

    Akindoyeni noted that except CORBON is empowered, it may be difficult to stop the menace.

    According to him, prospective house owners should as well endeavour to engage experts in the sector before commencing any building ‎project.

    “Nigerians too are not helping matters. Some people give housing projects to quacks and buy substandard materials. So if any ‎collapse happen, the blame goes to the builders,” he added.

     

  • Buhari’s war against corruption unstoppable – Presidency

    Buhari’s war against corruption unstoppable – Presidency

    A presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration has vowed to fight corruption to standstill in spite strong resistance by some individuals and groups to thwart these efforts.

    Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.

    He stressed that the war against perfidy and corruption by the Buhari administration would not stop despite the opposition against it in some quarters.

    The Presidential aide, who featured on a radio programme tagged, ‘Hannu Da Yawa’ at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna zonal station, on Saturday, maintained that the President declared rooting out corruption as one of the cardinal policies of his election campaign.

    “Let me say one thing. Those whose illicit ways of accumulating money have been stopped will criticize this government but all that will not derail the unfaltering commitment of the President, Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to the war against corruption.

    “He is aware that this was one of the main reasons why Nigerians in their millions put their trust in him; the main reason they voted him into power in 2015.

    “To keep that trust of ordinary Nigerians who voted him into the office, he has vowed to give corruption a good fight. He will not let them down,’’ he said.

    Shehu admitted that so far, the battle to uproot corruption from Nigeria has not been easy.

    According to him, corruption has been fighting back vehemently, finding accomplices in various forms and guises but reassured that the Buhari administration will not relent.

    “Nothing will return our country to those sad, old days of wanton thievery that have plunged us into the economic mess from which Nigeria is currently recovering.

    “The war against corruption in Nigeria is one of those clashes between good and evil, where good is determined to triumph.’’

    He dismissed the insinuation that some members of the governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) were being spared in the ongoing campaign against corruption, saying “all are equal before the law’’.

    Shehu disclosed that upon directives by the President, the National Hajj Commission had carried out an audit of accommodation agents in both Makkah and Madina in Saudi Arabia, as parts of measures to promote transparency.

    He revealed that a saving of more than 16.7 million dollars was realized from the exercise.

    “Each Hajj pilgrim is being saved between 600 to 1,000 Saudi Riyals, which is about N60,000 – N100,000 from accommodation, money that had lined the pockets of agents in the past.

    “This year, houses are being rented directly from owners.’’

    Shehu also lauded those fearless ordinary citizens for embracing the whistleblower policy by “taking extraordinary risks’’ to expose corruption in the society.

    On the ongoing relocation of international flight services to Kaduna Airport, the Presidential aide challenged the government and people of Kaduna state to devise ways by which the social and economic benefits brought to the state did not depart the city after the rehabilitation of the Abuja airport.

    “The government of Nigeria has done a big thing for Kaduna. You must show appreciation to this by supporting the administration,’’ he said.

    While referring to the “massive cash releases for capital projects in excess of a record of one trillion Naira under the 2016 budget’’, Shehu reiterated the determination of the Buhari administration to complete some developmental projects.

    He said this is meant to uplift the quality of life of all Nigerians irrespective of their geo-political backgrounds.

    He acknowledged the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola with the record of being the first ever Minister to ride on all the federal roads across the nation.

    “In addition to the roads, three of the major projects very dear to the President which he is determined to execute are the Mambila power project, the Lagos-Kano, Lagos-Calabar and Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway modernization projects and the new Presidential Initiative on Fertilizer.’’

    The presidential aide noted that already the fertiliser initiative had started making an impact by cutting the price of fertiliser to about 50 per cent.

  • FG pledges to refund expenditure on federal roads to state govts

    FG pledges to refund expenditure on federal roads to state govts

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing on Thursday pledged the commitment of the Federal Government to refund expenditure on the execution of federal roads to state governments.

    Fashola, who stated this in Ado-Ekiti during a courtesy visit to Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, said the planned refund followed request by several state governments.

    The minister said he was in the state to inspect ongoing Federal Government road projects.

    He commended the governor over federal road projects executed in the state, adding that the Federal Government was committed to refunding the amount spent on the projects.

    According to the minister, we are committed to supporting states toward achieving their developmental objectives and so, efforts are being made to raise the fund through bonds.

    Fashola said Federal Government was not in competition with any state government and therefore, urged the governor to support the activities of the Federal Controller of Works in the state.

    He said the controller was in the state to ensure that the realisation of the Federal Government’s infrastructure developmental plans.

    The minister assured that work would resume in roads where engineering designs had been completed in the state, as soon as the 2017 budget was passed.

    In his remark, Fayose commended the minister for the visit, adding that coming to the state through road from Abuja was an indication that the minister was prepared to work.

    He said the state had no reason to doubt the minister over his promises to refund moneys spent on federal roads, completion of ongoing projects as well commencement of new ones.

    Fayose, however, urged the minister to expedite actions in ensuring that the projects were completed before the expiration of the tenure of the present administration in the state.

     

  • I am not frustrating Lagos state govt, says Fashola

    I am not frustrating Lagos state govt, says Fashola

    The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing says allegation that it is frustrating the developmental initiatives of Lagos State Government is untrue.

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode had recently accused the ministry of frustrating his administration’s efforts to carry out a total reconstruction of the International Airport Road from Oshodi.

    Ambode also reportedly accused the ministry and security agents of denying the state government access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos, six months after President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval.

    A statement on Friday in Abuja by Mr Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser, Communications to the ministry, said the minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola, had in 2016 approved the use of the Ministry of Works yard at Oworonsoki for Lagos State Government to create a lay-by to ease traffic.

    It further said that Fashola had also approved Lagos government’s request to manage the street lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge to support the security initiatives of the state.

    It said the ministry also supported the approval of a World Bank loan of 200 million dollars to Lagos State, a request denied it by the previous administration.

    On the International Airport Road being the grounds for the allegation, it said that the government had presented a request for four roads that it wished to take over.

    The ministry, however, said the request was inconsistent with its conditions for states to take over roads within their jurisdiction.

    It therefore said, “As far as the Presidential Lodge is concerned, it is under the management of the Presidency and not the ministry.

    “After the approval by Mr President that the Presidential Lodge be handed over to the state government, there was a directive to the ministry to work out the modalities for handing over.’’

    It said that the ministry had prepared a vesting instrument to convey the transfer and all that was needed was a survey plan.

    It said that the Presidential Lodge was a high security location and officials of the ministry also required security clearance to enter, to do any works, noting that access to the lodge was not under the control of the ministry.

    It said that the ministry remained committed to serving the government and people of Lagos and would treat all their requests on merit in accordance with necessary due process.

  • FG assures of seamless operation at Kaduna airport

    FG assures of seamless operation at Kaduna airport

    The Federal Government on Monday announced its readiness to ensure seamless operation at Kaduna International Airport as Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja closes on March 8 for runway repairs.

    The Minster of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this during a World News Conference organided by the ministry in Abuja.

    The news conference featured the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahi Idris.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, was also represented at the news conference.

    Mohammed said the Acting President had inspected Kaduna airport and the rail station to ascertain the level of readiness to ensure smooth operation during the six-week closure period.

    He said that the summary of the findings during the inspection was that even though the airport might not be 100 per cent ready, its current state was suitable enough for the operation.

    The minister also disclosed that the repair work on the Abuja-Kaduna highway had been completed to ensure smooth passage for Abuja bound passengers.

    “As you are all aware, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja will shut from the midnight of Tuesday March 7 to the Wednesday March 8 for the purpose of repairing the failed portion of the airport runway.

    “During that time, Abuja flights will be diverted to Kaduna.

    “On Friday, the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo inspected the Kaduna airport and the railway station to ascertain the state of readiness.

    “The summary of the finding is that while the airport may not be 100 per cent ready, by the time Abuja airport is shut, it will indeed be suitable enough,’’ he said.

    Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said the government had concluded arrangements to provide free transportation service for Abuja-bound passengers to and from Kaduna.

    Amaechi said that the train services would be rearranged to suit the flight schedules at Kaduna airport, adding that the train would be coming from Kaduna instead of the current arrangement.

    He said the Kaduna airport runway was in perfect shape, adding that it was a portion of the terminal building that was yet to be completed as at Friday.

    According to him, the work was nearing completion as at that day and the contractor promised to deliver it before the deadline.

    The Minister of State, Aviation, Sirika, craved the indulgence of air travelers to bear with the government on the closure.

    He said that the decision was for safety reasons, which is the key word in aviation sector.

    The minister said the part of the Kaduna airport terminal building had been completed as at this morning, adding that much work had been done to ensure smooth operation.

    According to him, the ministry has provided a dedicated website (www.abujaairportclosure.info) to update airport users on the operations at Kaduna during the period.

    Sirika said the government had no other option than to shut the Abuja airport runway considering the level of dilapidation that had made it to fail completely.

    He said that Kaduna airport would remain a seasonal international airport even after the six weeks period until it met the requirements to be a designated international airport.

    According to him, Ethiopian Airline is the only foreign airline that has expressed its readiness to fly the airport so far but at the end we expect more to operate the airport.

    The minister reiterated the government’s plan to concession all the airports for efficiency beginning from the big four such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.

    “We have already concluded the arrangement for the appointment of transaction adviser that will commence work in a matter of weeks,’’ he said.

    The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, assured that the police had made adequate security plans to ensure seamless operation between Abuja and Kaduna airports.

    Idris said the police force had enough capacity and capability to carry out efficient surveillance on the road, the rail line and air during the six weeks.

    According to him, he was in Kaduna on Sunday to conduct assessment of security in the airport, on the road and the rail at Jere and Idu stations.

    “In the whole, our deployment on the ground is perfect because we have the various units of the Nigeria Police Force in charge of specialized units.

    “We have the force Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), we have the force animals in charge of dogs; we have the patrolling team and the mobile force as well as the air wing.

    “As I stated, all the units are deployed fully on ground,’’ he said.