Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi says the Federal
Government will ensure the total rehabilitation of the Abuja Airport
runway for smooth operations and deliver it in six weeks.
Amaechi who acknowledged the pains closure of the Airport would cause the
economy maintained that his Ministry will ensure the reopening after due
rehabilitation is concluded in six weeks.
Amaechi gave the assurance when he appeared alongside his colleague
Ministers at a town hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Information
in Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday.
According to him, “We are saying that the Abuja Airport runway was built
to last for twenty years but we have been using it for thirty four years.
It has become extremely dangerous to continue using it, the way it is
right now. We need to close it to rebuild it and reconstruct it. The
foundation is almost gone and what we are asking for is patience. If we
don’t close it we will be exposing lives. One of the constitutional
responsibilities of the President is to protect lives and property. So you
can’t deny us that responsibility. We believe that if we close it by
March, in six weeks time we shall be able to reopen it. We know it is
challenging for our economy. We think that we will keep to those six
weeks,” he said.
While explaining issues concerning Maritime, particularly in the North
Central, Amaechi noted that his ministry was determined to commission the
Baro River Port by the first quarter of next year.
“We met abandoned Maritime. Our target this year is that by first quarter
of next year we shall be commissioning Baro River Port. We are in the
process of awarding the contract for the last equipment that they will use
at the River Port. NIWA is there working hard. I understand the sentiments
of Baro. The only reason why we have not gotten the contractor at Lokoja
part is that we don’t trust the contractor and I have directed NIWA to go
and look for the process of terminating that contract and get a new
contractor to complete the project and that mandate, we have from Mr.
President”.
“The other mandate that will interest you is the Central Railway Line, the
Itakpe/ Ajaokuta Railway Line. If you go back there now the contractors
are back to site. We have sent them back to site. That is a 32 years
project. Under this government we have decided and agreed with the
contractors that we will complete it first quarter of next year”.
“Even Baro will be completed first quarter of next year. The other thing
that will interest you is the Narrow Gauge Railway Line that transverses
your state (Kwara) to Minna. We are about to start negotiations with
General Electric (GE). The Narrow Gauge will start if we successfully
conclude our conversation. Before the end of this year, from Lagos to
Ajaokuta to Ibadan to Ilorin to Minna and onward to Kano we will revive
that railway line”.
“We believe that between the first and second quarters we would have
completed the negotiations and you will see more activities on the train.
Once we conclude it, it will create employment. The other one that will
also interest you is the Standard Gauge which everybody is clamouring for.
We have awarded the contract for the Lagos to Ibadan Standard Gauge Line.
By the time they complete that we will be awarding Ibadan to Ilorin and
the prayer you should make is to ask the National Assembly to kindly
approve for us the borrowing plan that was sent to them”.
“Out of that borrowing plan, 6.1billion dollars is meant for railway. For
the Lagos to Ibadan, you have 1.5billion dollars. The loan has been
approved by the China Exim Bank, the only thing holding us today is that
the NASS is yet to approve the borrowing plan. As citizens from the North
Central, please kindly appeal to the NASS to approve the borrowing plan”,
he said.
‘When that is completed the next phase of the railway will be from Ibadan
to Minna or Ilorin. Currently, we are also looking for loan to do Kano to
Kaduna for that Standard Gauge Rail Line”, he said.