Abuja Airport Closure: FG offers free transportation
*says second runway in all airports sacrosanct
In its effort to ensure smooth transportation and to help alleviate the suffering of passengers throughout the duration of runway maintenance of the Abuja airport, federal government has announced the kickstarting of free rail transportation, to all passengers traveling through the Kaduna airport.
Speaking to journalists at Rigasa rail station in Kaduna, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated that the reason for free rail transportation to passengers from Abuja to Kaduna and back, is geared toward ensuring that passengers are given fair treatment.
The Minister who took a trip to Kaduna through the rail transportation in company of some passengers, noted that the trip through rail is safer and more convenient.
“We are here to see for ourselves the feeling of passengers who we know might be having some challenges and we came also to know how the whole exercise works. As you and I can see all is the working as planned. And when going back, we would pass through the road, to also ascertain the level of operation through the road,” the minister said.
He further revealed that government at the first instance promised passengers the use of air ticket to serve dual purposes. “We had at the initial time agreed that the passengers flight ticket would serve as a pass to board the train. So as long as the process lasts, passengers would not be buying train tickets to Kaduna.
We are here to tell the entire Nigerians that government meant to safeguard the lives of its citizens,” Lai Mohammed stated.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, reiterated efforts of the federal government in ensuring the safety in all Nigerian airports.
He stated that in as much as the entire process is to ensure that disaster is averted in all Nigerian airports, it could not also have been easy for the repair to be carried out portion by portion and during the night as such also portends danger over a 32-year-old runway.
