…To commission new terminal February 2018
By Dele Ogbodo
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Adamu Aliero, on Tuesday gave assurance that Federal Government
through the Ministry of Aviation will award the contract for the construction of the second runway for the Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA), before the end of 2017.
The Chairman said the National Assembly (NASS) has given approval for the construction of the second runway as it has become expedient for it to meet international benchmark.
Aliero spoke while conducting his colleagues and stakeholders around facilities and ongoing works at the airports.
According to him: “On our assessment of the runway, our observation is that we are going to have a second runway because of the capacity.
“We went to check if we would need a second runway and from the looks of things, we need it.
“Abuja is the only major city in Nigeria that has no second runway, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano and Port Harcourt all have second runway.”
While underscoring the urgent need for a second runway, he stressed that Abuja being the seat of Federal Capital Territory deserves second runway, coupled with the growing passenger inflow and number of flights coming into Abuja, certainly we need a second runway, he added.
He said: “We don’t need a situation where we have to wait or we have to move to Kaduna again, what we went through then is very horrendous and we don’t want that again.
“That is why NASS has approved the construction of second runway for Abuja and luckily, the ministry is working to ensure that the procurement and award of contract is done before the end of this year and if it is awarded, there would be enough funding for next year.”
The Senator was however not happy with the electricity and water challenges but assured that that the ministry is already aware of it.
On the power and water challenges, he said: “I think that they are doing something about it and once they bring it to the notice of the legislature, we will do the needful and give them necessary support because definitely we need this building to be put to use immediately after completion.
“So, there is no point having this building without water and electricity, the building won’t function.
“The existing power and water supply is not adequate enough to accommodate this building, so we need to expand the water and electricity supply.”
He also assured that the new terminal building would be completed and commissioned before the end of next year.
“The building is 80 percent completed, what is left to be done is just finishing. As I speak, the equipment are already on ground.
“The project manager also said that the control tower and fire station has to be relocated and that is why they are giving us till next year.” he said.
In a remark, the project manager’ CCECC, for the terminal building, Mr. Kevin Lee, said members of the National Assembly have informed on the need to upgraded the water and electricity capacities, stressing that the control tower and power stations.
He said: “To commission this building, about 8MVA capacity power is needed and right now, the existing power cannot carry it and we cannot go ahead to test some of the things installed because of the low capacity of power.
“Terminal building would be completed by the end of February 2018 but because there is no power, we can’t Commission it.
“Equipment needed for finishing is on site and it would be completed soon but if the power and water is provided, the building would be commissioned by the end of next year.”