Minister installs countdown clock at Abuja airport

The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika has installed a countdown clock at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to mount pressure on contractors to meet the six weeks deadline.

This is in fulfillment of his promise to install the clock to remind contractors that the April 19 reopening date of the airport would not be extended.

Sirika said the clock was a sign of seriousness and commitment of government to ensuring that the programme of work was followed by contractors, and remind to them that time was of essence.

According to his twitter @hadisirika, the countdown clock installed at the gate of Abuja airport to remind and pressure contractors to deliver in 6 weeks.

When our correspondent visited the airport on Wednesday, the clock was displayed, “13 days: 13 hours: 24 minutes: 40 seconds” to the reopening of the airport.

One of the clocks was installed at the access gate (toll gate), the second one at the entry of the terminal and the third in the main hall.

However, the contractor handling the runway has achieved an appreciable progress in the rehabilitation work while the electrical installations on the runway were being done.

Sirika also announced on his twitter handle that the rehabilitation work had reached 75 per cent as at Tuesday night.

“Happy to announce we are at 75% completion of Abuja airport rehabilitation. Programme of work is running as outlined,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that the Federal Government shut the Abuja airport on March 8 for six weeks, to enable Julius Berger to carry out much needed repair on the failed 3.6 km runway.

The runway was said to have been in use for 35 years without any major rehabilitation and proper maintenance as against the original 20-year life span.