The Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Aviation has urged the Federal Government to make provision for the proposed second runway for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja in the 2016 budget.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, said this while briefing newsmen after the facilities inspection tour of the airport on Monday in Abuja.
Kwankwaso said the committee would make recommendations to the Senate and communicate same to the executive arm of the government on the importance of the second runway.
He said the Senate committee also identified other areas of concern such as maintenance of equipment and procurement of new ones as well as other safety infrastructure that required prompt attention.
Kwankwaso said the Senate was committed to the development of the country’s aviation industry through cooperation with the executive arm as well as all industry players.
He said: “For the second runway, we will make our recommendations to the executive because many people are involved.
“We will make sure that it is included in the 2016 budget.
“We will also make some recommendations to the industry itself because there are certain things that they can do by themselves.
“On one hand, we are happy and on the other hand, there are concerns that need to be taken into consideration, especially the second runway, maintenance of equipment and purchase of additional ones.
“There are issues of maintenance because there are many things to be done that require a lot of money and budgeting.”
Also speaking, Senator Stella Oduah, a member of the committee and a former Minister of Aviation, faulted certain uncomplimentary rating of the nation’s airports, saying that she did not believe in the assessment.
According to Oduah: “That assessment really is highly subjective because in my view, it is not fair and not acceptable at all.”
She said the nation’s airports had fared better over the years considering the developments that had taken place in the industry in line with global best practice.
She said: “The committee will make its recommendation with priority on finance because revenue source is key to aviation development.
“The contractor handling the construction of the new terminal told us that the project would be completed in 2016 because they have their constraints such as funds and other logistics.”
Meanwhile, Saleh Dunoma, the Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, underscored the need for collaboration with the National Assembly to enable the sector to receive adequate budgetary provision for its infrastructural development.
Dunoma said adequate budgetary provision would enable the authority to properly handle safety related infrastructure at the nation’s airports.
He said the authority needed the support of the Senate to be able to meet its target of getting Lagos and Abuja Airports certified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation Audit Team in 2016.
The FAAN managing director said the authority would ensure that all airport equipment, especially the Instrument Landing System and the airfield lighting system, were in proper working condition.
He said: “We are working with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and other agencies to make sure that all the equipment are working, especially during this time of weather challenges.
“We are doing a lot of works in all the airports to make sure that airfield equipment, terminal equipment and other facilities are working to ensure passenger comfort.
“Security is another special area and I want to assure the general public and travellers that their security is guaranteed, especially during the festive period.”
Dunoma said the process for the construction of the second runway for the Abuja Airport had started, adding that FAAN was in the process of getting the scope of work.
He said that efforts were also being made to ensure that the cost of the construction of the second runway was captured in the 2016 budget.
On Enugu Airport, Dunoma said FAAN had contracted geophysics consultants to investigate the alleged potholes on its new tarmac and to communicate their findings to the contractor that handled the project.
NAN.