FG partners Borno on airport

THe Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba while on inspection of facilities at the airport last week said already the federal government had made available the sum of N500 million to his ministry for the project. He urged  the Borno government to source the balance so that the two tiers could partner to enhance air transport […]

THe Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba while on inspection of facilities at the airport last week said already the federal government had made available the sum of N500 million to his ministry for the project. He urged  the Borno government to source the balance so that the two tiers could partner to enhance air transport service in the state.

Omotoba said work would soon commence on the runway immediately hajj is completed. “Once the hajj operation is completed the runway will be shut down for repair.”

 He said a lot of money had been spent on the runway by past administrations but that the runway needed total overhaul, stressing that the runway will not  need any repair in the next ten years after the rehabilitation. He stated that funds for the rehabilitation of the runway had already been included in the 2009 budget.

 The minister also said tracking radar site coverage had been completed in three airports which are Lagos, Abuja and Maiduguri. He said the purpose of the radar coverage was to improve safety and security in Nigeria.

“We have nine tracking sites in the country and four of them were in the primary airports which are Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt . We had installed the tracking radar coverage site in Abuja in April, Lagos in March and Port Harcourt is about to be completed .While the secondary airports like Ilorin, Talata Mafarawa, Numa and Obubra will also have tracking site installed later in the year or before March next year. With the installation of the tracking radar coverage in Maiduguri, we can see aircraft coming from Cameroon, Niger, Kano, Yola and Jos to the airport,’’ he said.

 He noted that the perimeter fencing at the airport is porous saying the federal government will carry out construction work on the fence by the year 2010. He added that a brand new fire tender would be given to the airport saying currently the airport had three fires tenders out of which two were over thirty years old. He added that the airport terminal will also be given a facelift in the year 2010.

 Among the facilities inspected by the minister included tracking site, runway, fire bay and power house and the new protocol lounge.

 While paying courtesy visit on the Governor of Borno, Alhaji Ali Modu Sherriff, the minister solicited for N250 million needed for the runway even as he thanked the state government for constructing a new protocol lounge at the Maiduguri airport.

Borno Deputy Governor, Alhaji Adamu Yuguda Shettimma Dibbal who received the minister said the state had spend close to N600million since 2006 as a form of intervention at the airport noting that the state is yet to receive reimbursement from the federal government.