Group commends Sirika on Nigeria’s aviation sector

A coalition of some independent platforms have commended Hadi Sirika, the minister of States on Aviation for the rapid developments in the aviation sector.

The group which consists of the Market Youth Congress of Nigeria, Igbo Trades Support Group on Good Governance and Yoruba Women Traders Support Group stressed that the developments won’t have been possible without president Muhammadu Buhari who appointed the minister.

The coalition noted that Sirika’s tenure as the minister of aviation has given Nigeria the highest rating in air safety and under whom the nation’s busiest airport certified; for the first time in the history of Nigeria.

Victor Amadi who spoke at the airport on behalf of the coalition explained that when Sirika was appointed, many airport infrastructure was in disarray but the narrative have since changed as the minister swung into action to address infrastructural deficit.

“We recall that the Kaduna airport was merely functional in the sense that there was passenger facilitation. But we recall that the passenger terminal was in total disrepair and out of use because the failed remodeling programme of the previous administration left it in disuse.

“After searching for any way possible to totally rehabilitate the runway of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja while flights were going on and it became obvious that for efficient work to be carried out at the airport, it must be closed; the Minister decided to rejuvenate the Kaduna airport.

“At that moment, passengers were being facilitated through the hajj terminal of the airport, so the Minster decided to rebuild the terminal.

To upgrade the airport to the standard that international airlines can operate to the airport, Senator Sirika extend the runway of the airport.

He also brought in Category 3 Instrument Landing System and upgraded the control tower. He also improved the VOR of the airport and improved communication between the control tower and the pilot,” Amadi added.

He said today Kaduna airport processes passenger for international flights and Ethiopia Airlines is operating from there. No one can imagine that this could happen to this airport before the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

On the rehabilitation of Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport runway, Abuja, the Minister ensured that other works were going on at the Abuja airport.

The terminal was improved; expanded and new departures were created at the ground floor of the airport. Not only that; new lifts were installed so that those who are physically challenged could use the lifts to the departures.

On Lagos airport, he reiterated that plans have been complete to install Category 3 Instrument Landing System at the Lagos Airport, adding that the Minister had promised that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would concentrate in providing safety critical projects at the airside of the airports across the country and in keeping with that promise he has been rehabilitating the airport runways, installing and building perimeter fences to improve security at the airports.

“When the Buhari administration took office the new terminals at the five international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu were practically abandoned.

But work at these projects was revived and today the projects are at advance level of completion and before the end of this year they would be put to service,” he said

Speaking earlier, Chidiebere Okoh, the Conveyner of the coalition said Sirika has improved security at the nation’s airports. Before the administration took over in 2015, the Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria was grossly understaffed.

The Minister directed for massive recruitment and training of AVSEC personnel in terms of equipment more modern sophisticated security equipment were procured and distributed at the various airports.

“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the two busiest airports in country in Lagos and Abuja were certified to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard and this mean that these airports are recognized worldwide as meeting all standards for international flight operations. This was done in consonance with recommended international practices.

“Also under Senator Hadi Sirika administration the aviation industry in Nigeria was audited by ICAO and the country scored 96 percent on safety and security.

“Just last week the United State Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revalidation the Category 1 Safety status which Nigeria obtained for the first time in 2010 after an audit carried out in August Last year,” Okoh added.

For the first time the ICAO World Aviation Forum was hosted outside Montreal and in Nigeria. This was an effort of the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika and from feedback; it was very successful outing both for Nigeria and for ICAO. That forum put Nigeria on the global map as far as aviation is concerned.