Abuja airport runway repair is on schedule, says VP Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday in Abuja stated that ongoing construction of the runway will be completed on schedule.

He made the observation shortly after the inspection of the 3.6 kilometers part of the Abuja airport runway under repair.

His words: “I have looked round and I think that with what I’ve seen and also from the information from the contractors, from the consultants, things are going very well.

“We are told that we are nearing completion and we are clearly on schedule and we expect to see that this will be completed well on schedule. I don’t think we should expect any delays whatsoever.

“We have assurances from the consultants that we are clearly on schedule, so by the 19th of this month, a new runway should be settled”.

Further fielding questions from journalists, Osinbajo stated that he has no reservations that the people would disappoint the country.

“By just looking at all of this myself, inspecting it and listening to the consultants, listening to the contractors, listening to the personnel from FAAN and the Ministry of Transport, I think that a lot of work has gone in here.

“The contractors are doing 24 hour shifts, working round the clock. I think they have Domestic wing. This means passengers would no longer be limited to the stairways in making their way through from contractors”.

Also, Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, has assured Nigerians and indeed air travelers that the project of rebuilding the Abuja airport runway would not fail at the appointed time.

Engineer Dunoma explained that some of the technical issues involving the work completion work has gotten to advanced stage, counting from the runway repair to electrical installation which is about 40 per cent as well as putting other necessary things in place.

He however noted that in order not to over labour the runway after maintenance that the country needs another runway as a substitute to avoid repeat of what Nigeria is passing through at the moment.

Meanwhile, passengers traveling to different parts of the world have continued to board the Government provided vehicles and the train at Idu National Station pending the completion of the project.

Also a countdown clock has been installed at the airport entrance gate, counting the days for the reopening of the runway.