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Remodelling: Enugu airport rots four years after
Lackadaisical attitude of Nigerians on maintenance has negatively affected infrastructural development, which is critical and essential to a nation’s development, writes WOLE SHADARE
Lack of maintenance culture
Achieving vision 2020 goals would be attainable if existing structures and facilities are constantly maintained. Poor maintenance culture has drawn the nation a thousand steps backward and one of the stride actions that could salvage the country from the total mess of infrastructural decay is maintenance.
It is common knowledge that the deplorable state of public facilities in Nigeria poses great concern to stakeholders. Facilities at Nigeria’s airports, hospitals, schools and roads among others, would give indication that the society lacks an agent that would have helped manage and ensure effective and efficient functioning of the facilities as well as fostering national development.
Achieving vision 2020 goals would be attainable if existing structures and facilities are constantly maintained. Poor maintenance culture has drawn the nation a thousand steps backward and one of the stride actions that could salvage the country from the total mess of infrastructural decay is maintenance.
It is common knowledge that the deplorable state of public facilities in Nigeria poses great concern to stakeholders. Facilities at Nigeria’s airports, hospitals, schools and roads among others, would give indication that the society lacks an agent that would have helped manage and ensure effective and efficient functioning of the facilities as well as fostering national development.
Enugu airport is unsafe
Such is the precarious state of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. Not a few have expressed worry over the situation.
Last week, the joint committee of the National Assembly on Aviation, during its visit to the airport expressed worry over the deplorable facilities of some airports in the country and declared the Akanu Ibiam Airport unsafe.
Such is the precarious state of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. Not a few have expressed worry over the situation.
Last week, the joint committee of the National Assembly on Aviation, during its visit to the airport expressed worry over the deplorable facilities of some airports in the country and declared the Akanu Ibiam Airport unsafe.
Sen. Muhammad Adamu, representing Kebbi Central, also expressed displeasure during a tour of facility of the Port Harcourt International Airport.
Adamu said that the Senate had between 2015 and 2017 appropriated funds for completion of the remodeling of airports across the country.
Adamu said that the Senate had between 2015 and 2017 appropriated funds for completion of the remodeling of airports across the country.
In a report on the state of the Enugu Airport, Adamu said the situation was worrisome and needed urgent remedial measures to protect the airport users.
Describing the airport as unsafe for airline operations, the lawmaker urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to summon the contractors to fill the existing potholes on the runway for safety of passengers.
“What we saw in Enugu airport was very serious infrastructure decay, we saw potholes on the runway and this is very unsafe for aircraft to land.
Emirates shelves plans
Adamu disclosed that some international airlines like the Emirate Airlines, had wanted to begin operations in Enugu, but couldn’t ,because after inspection of the facilities, they found there was no water or operational light on the runway.
According to him, it was impossible for aircraft to land at night in Enugu airport.
The senator also revealed that despite the payment of over 40 per cent of the contract sum for the new terminal that was being funded by Chinese Bank (Exim bank), the terminal had remained in a state of decay.
He said that so far, record had shown that over N9 billion had been spent on the said terminal.
Adamu disclosed that some international airlines like the Emirate Airlines, had wanted to begin operations in Enugu, but couldn’t ,because after inspection of the facilities, they found there was no water or operational light on the runway.
According to him, it was impossible for aircraft to land at night in Enugu airport.
The senator also revealed that despite the payment of over 40 per cent of the contract sum for the new terminal that was being funded by Chinese Bank (Exim bank), the terminal had remained in a state of decay.
He said that so far, record had shown that over N9 billion had been spent on the said terminal.
Waste
The quick decay of over N300 billion allegedly spent on remodelling of some of the country’s aerodromes five years ago tallies with a generally held belief that it was a total waste of resources because of the quality of materials used.
The quick decay of over N300 billion allegedly spent on remodelling of some of the country’s aerodromes five years ago tallies with a generally held belief that it was a total waste of resources because of the quality of materials used.
It would be recalled that in January 2013, former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah announced the Federal Governments plan to remodel 11 airports in Nigeria as the first phase of a comprehensive exercise to bring the Nigerian aviation system to internationals standard.
The former minster went further to explain that the remodeling exercise will raise the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as they would stimulate economic activities and encourage travelling.
She projected that by 2015 total domestic and international passenger movement in Nigeria would rise from the present 12 million to 16 million, adding that with better facilities and commercial offerings at the airports, travellers would be increasing by at least 10 per cent annually.
The plan elicited so much enthusiasm among Nigerians, especially when, over time, the remodeled airports were being commissioned one after the other by former President Goodluck Jonathan. But it appears that the joy of having the airport glow with globally rated facilities seem to have been punctured by shocking revelations from the National Assembly and the users of these facilities.
FAAN’s imput was not taken into consideration as the contractors and contracts were shrouded in secrecy with siblings, friends and cronies allegedly getting contracts running into several billions of naira.
No wonder, a few years after the exercise, it is not too difficult to see substandard materials used for the project rot.
The management of FAAN, led by Saleh Dunoma, with support from the Ministry of Transportation, have given the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and the Abuja airport better facelift; far better than the joke that stared everyone in the face.
The management of FAAN, led by Saleh Dunoma, with support from the Ministry of Transportation, have given the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and the Abuja airport better facelift; far better than the joke that stared everyone in the face.
Expert’s view
Aviation consultant and member, Aviation Round Table (ART), Grp. Captain John Ojukutu, in a petition to former Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodimma and former chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Nkiruka Onyejiocha, said he was deeply worried reading through the reports on the recent oversight function of lawmakers to Enugu airport left him very sad.
Aviation consultant and member, Aviation Round Table (ART), Grp. Captain John Ojukutu, in a petition to former Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodimma and former chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Nkiruka Onyejiocha, said he was deeply worried reading through the reports on the recent oversight function of lawmakers to Enugu airport left him very sad.
He said he was particularly worried about the manner of the NASS oversight functions over the development of infrastructure in the aviation sector.
“Specifically, the statement credited to the Senate committee on aviation about the poor state of Enugu airport terminal building and the runway in particular is seriously an indictment of the NASS and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) whichever way you look at it, debate or defend it”.
“Specifically, the statement credited to the Senate committee on aviation about the poor state of Enugu airport terminal building and the runway in particular is seriously an indictment of the NASS and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) whichever way you look at it, debate or defend it”.
Ojukutu said it was only three years ago that Enugu airport was declared as an international airport with fiat, adding that that was the time Onyejiocha was and still the chairperson of the House committee on aviation and Senator Hope Uzodinma was the chairman in the Senate and Oduah was the minister of aviation”.
He alleged that the declaration was done without due diligence for certification by the responsible authority, NCAA, stressing that as it were, it is doubtful if FAAN was involved in the whole process.
He alleged that the declaration was done without due diligence for certification by the responsible authority, NCAA, stressing that as it were, it is doubtful if FAAN was involved in the whole process.
Jettisoning runway classification
Speaking specifically on the Enugu airport runway, he said the runway surface was built with a load classification number (LCN) to carry B 737 aircraft and not the heavier B 767/ 777 that Ethiopian airline operates to the airport.
Stakeholders disclosed that the only thing that the then minister did with political fiat without the technical input from the responsible aviation authority was to extend the length of the runway.
Speaking specifically on the Enugu airport runway, he said the runway surface was built with a load classification number (LCN) to carry B 737 aircraft and not the heavier B 767/ 777 that Ethiopian airline operates to the airport.
Stakeholders disclosed that the only thing that the then minister did with political fiat without the technical input from the responsible aviation authority was to extend the length of the runway.
That, to them, was a reckless spending which the NASS could have put under its diligent appropriation oversight and the NCAA, safety oversight, unfortunately, both Uzodimma and Onyejiocha allegedly neglected those responsibilities.
The result is the call at Enugu by Onyejiocha’s commitee for another spending for the same purpose.
The result is the call at Enugu by Onyejiocha’s commitee for another spending for the same purpose.
Ojukutu said: “It is only three years after your appropriation for Enugu, you are again thinking of another appropriation for the same purpose. That, to me, will be a waste and reckless spending of public money if the runway would not be reconstructed to upgrade the LCN of the runway to carry bigger aircraft load than what it was originally designed to carry.”
Last line
The Enugu airport runway surface could require total closure of the airport for about a year or two. If nothing is urgently done, it could lead to both Ethiopian Airlines and domestic airlines boycotting flight services to the airport.
The Enugu airport runway surface could require total closure of the airport for about a year or two. If nothing is urgently done, it could lead to both Ethiopian Airlines and domestic airlines boycotting flight services to the airport.
