…No need to celebrate, it’s our job–Sirika
By Sade Williams
A non-profit making organization, Aviation Round Table (ART) has commended Hadi Sirika, Minister of State, Aviation, for delivering a refurbished Abuja runway as promised.
Gbenga Olowo, president of the group said: ‘we are quite pleased the minister who even put his job on the line on the project during ART breakfast meeting with himself and the information minister’
“We in ART salute the minister of Aviation and his agencies for living true to its promise to deliver Abuja run way on schedule. Measurable deliverable remains our challenge in the sector and we are quite pleased the minister even put his job on the line on the project during ART breakfast meeting with himself and the information minister.
“We appreciate the presidency for giving the essential and necessary support to make this happen on schedule.
ART however prayed that such purposeful actions is sustained in the sector ‘as we demand that Aviation delivers 1 % of Nigeria GDP by 2020 as against the present meager 0.4 %. We demand for measurable growth on the Airline side and the Airports”.
Meanwhile, Sirika who landed first on the runway after six weeks of rehabilitation, from Kaduna Airport on Nigerian Police aircraft with registration number 5N-HAR, said there is no need delaying when the project is delivered before the due date.
While addressing journalists he said: “April 19 was the due date to conclude and open the airport base on our program of work. We were able to deliver the project earlier than anticipated so we cannot open late. There is nothing wrong in opening it a day earlier. Here we are, we set out to achieve a target and we achieve the target”.
While showing appreciation he said, “We thank Allah for His benevolence. We are happy and thank Mr. President, His Excellency for his support, guidance and leadership. And I also want to thank my colleagues who did it all, the media and the Nigeria people for bearing with us during the time of the closure.”
Sirika said the runway is now in perfect shape.
“The runway has been completed and it is in perfect shape. I just landed now on the same runway. Final exercise, the friction test was carried out this morning and they found out that it meets international standard, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO’s Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs). So the runway is good, perfect. The minister commented on why there is no celebration on the reopening of the runway.
“We are not celebrating because we set out a target and we meet the target. There is no need to celebrate”.
