The Minister of Aviation Hardi Sirika said the Ministry has made a special grant request of N10 billion from President Muhammadu Buhari for the completion of reconstruction of the runways of Akanu Ibiam International Airport , Enugu.
Sirika who made the revealation at an interactive meeting with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation also said that there is a structural damages at the airport that required the reconstruction work.
He further hinted that they had negotiated with the contractor and made payment of the initial bill of quantities for the contract sum and added that the presidential grant is required to complete the repairs.
The Minister said that there is an exim bank for the reconstruction of the airport and added that work would be completed before the end of December 2019.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hassan Musa earlier said that plans are at an advanced stage to confession the four international airports Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano and Lagos.
He further informed that the Ministry is working at unveiling a Aviation Masterplan that would ensure total reformation and reconstruction of the nation’s airports, adding hat plans are on the way for the establishment of an aerospace University and a national carrier.
On the challenges militating against safety and security of air passengers, he said that poor facilities, lack of manpower and high cost of Aviation fuel are the major challenges in the industry.
Earlier Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji and other lawmakers told the Minister that the House is worried over non commencement of the rehabilitation work at the Airport.
He said that the Aviation is the gateway to the nation’s economy and that Enugu International airport is strategic for it is the gateway to the southeast region and other parts of the country.
Also, in a presentation to the Committee on Works, the Minister of Works Babatunde Fashola lamented that, as at now, the Ministry has N306 billion in unpaid certificates to contractors while the proposed money appropriated for the Ministry in the 2020 is a little over half of what is being owed contractors.
Fashola stated that, roads infrastructure is being threatened by various bottlenecks in the country, even though progress is being made in the area of roads construction in all parts of the country.
According to him, no part of Nigeria is being left out as there is no state in the country where there is no completed or ongoing road project.
The Minister noted that, the Ministry has focused on roads that have greater economic value to the country saying that, they have identified and embarked on 47 priority road projects across the country.
