Capt. Abdulmumeen Abdulkareem (Rector, the International Aviation College, Ilorin, Kwara State)
I think it is for safety and professionalism. The Abuja runway is supposed to last for a certain number of years; but it has been in use for over 10 years, which is above its lifespan. I was a victim of that runway; we lost a tyre of a small aircraft on the runway. It is not when we have a major mishap that the runway should be rehabilitated.
Before now, they should have built a second runway, so that people do not need to divert to any place while the first runway is under maintenance. I wish there was an airport in Nassarawa State which is closer, or Minna, which would have been ideal because of its proximity to Abuja; but the Minna road is pathetic.
It is unfortunate that the only alternative passengers have is the Kaduna Airport. So, the issue now is the safety of both international and local passengers, commuting from Kaduna regularly. You have flights going in there from all parts of Nigeria and now, you have the passengers commuting by road from Kaduna. We need to put safety measures in place. We have communal clashes, kidnapping and road accidents. We lost the former Minister of Labour, Mr. James Ocholi, to an accident on that road, so there are many things the government needs to put in place to make it safe for both local and international passengers that would be diverted into Kaduna.
Mr. Ade Adeogun (A security expert)
The Federal Government does not have a choice in this matter. Definitely, it will create inconvenience for travellers. We cannot say it is a welcome development because every inconvenience cannot be welcomed. That is why I am saying that the Federal Government is doing it because it has no choice.
They are not doing it because they like to divert flights to Kaduna; they are doing it because the runway is bad. Would you rather have an air accident or divert so you can repair the airport? I think the decision is to at least close the airport so they can resurface the runway.
So, I think it is a good development. We would rather have six weeks of inconvenience than to have an air disaster. From what I read about this issue, I understand that there is the Kaduna-Abuja railway. So, rail services are going to be increased to take the volume of the passengers coming from the airport.
I also heard the minister of aviation saying that they were going to provide airport services and I think it is free commuter buses from Kaduna Airport to Abuja, and they are going to provide security for it. I learnt that for high profile passengers, who can afford it, there will be helicopter services. I think the real problem here is not so much the security challenge; it is that it is going to take a longer time for people who have to do business in Abuja because of the added time from Kaduna to Abuja.
Chief Richard Kpodo (A former Chief Security Adviser to the Bayelsa State Government)
It is a wise decision considering the fact that Kaduna Airport is the nearest airport to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The question is, if not Kaduna Airport, where else is close to Abuja?
So, I align with the Federal Government on that decision. Kaduna to Abuja is not far; the expressway is a good one and the Kaduna Airport is a standard airport. It is a very good decision.
Again, there is not much crime on the Kaduna Road. My take is that if Abuja Airport is undergoing reconstruction or rehabilitation, the next major town or city will be the major landing point, and in this case, it is Kaduna. So, it is incontrovertible that the Kaduna Airport should be the alternate airport in this regard.
But considering the security situation, my advice is that the government should tighten security around the Kaduna Road.
To that extent, I recommend regular patrols to ensure the security of lives and property of citizens. It is even a good decision to embark on that repair for the image of the country since it is one of the most patronised international airports in the country.
Emmanuel Ado (A business entrepreneur/air traveller)
Like the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. The decision was borne out of necessity. I believe it gives government an opportunity to pay better attention to our roads and also complete the rehabilitation of the Kaduna Airport which appears abandoned for some time now. It is also an opportunity to improve intercity rail services. I think in the end, it is a win-win situation for all.
Alhaji Mohammed Tukur (A former General Secretary, Airlines Operators of Nigeria)
I’m aware of the plan to close the Abuja Airport and direct travellers to Kaduna from where they will travel by road to Abuja. Is that right for a country like Nigeria? Can Kaduna Airport contain all the airlines meant for Abuja that will be diverted there? It is true Abuja airport doesn’t have a second runway and they want to repair the only one it has, which is why they want airlines to go to Kaduna. But can Kaduna take all the aircraft that will be coming there?
Even if it can contain them, are you telling me that I will fly to Kaduna and from there, I will go by road to Abuja when I know that the roads are bad? What is actually going on in this country? Instead of a complete shutdown of the Abuja Airport, why not work on it maybe during a specified time and issue a NOTAM (Notice to Air Men), stating that the repairs might be done at night. So, I suggest that this issue be looked into holistically, because there are concerns that must be addressed before either closing the Abuja Airport or diverting Abuja-bound flights to Kaduna, especially in this period of global insecurity.
Dr Chris Ekpenyong (A former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State)
I don’t know where we are going; in the 21st Century we are still backward. I went to Miami in Florida, nobody diverted my flight from Florida to Atlanta. Everybody went to Florida in spite of the fact that Miami Airport was undergoing structural repairs and changes.
Even many years ago in 1993, when I first went to Beijing and landed at the Beijing Airport, they were preparing for the 2006 Olympics and they never diverted any flight from the airport. They didn’t close the airport for people to go to another airport and then try getting to their destinations by other means.
The airline is prominent and when it was undergoing structural changes and expansion, people were still flying; they ensured that they made room for people to fly.
That is why Julius Berger, when constructing roads, does not close the roads. When JB was constructing roads in Akwa Ibom, which were awarded by the last administration of Godswill Akpabio, the Ikot Ekpene-Abak Road and the Uyo-Ekot Ekpene Road, it never closed the roads; it opened a way for vehicular traffic.
So, that is what the aviation managers and the aviation constructors should have thought about. I’m sure they did not involve the Nigerian Society of Engineers; they may just be doing what they think in their mind because they don’t have square pegs in square holes.
They don’t have engineers there. Has the President appointed engineers in his administration? The Minister of Works is what? The Minister of Aviation is what? The Minister of Transport is what? What do they know about the concept of engineering? Do they think engineering is like going to the stream to fetch water? Why do parents spend money to train people as engineers and spend money to train people as medical doctors, or spend money to train people to become educational administrators?
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