The former minister of state for aviation, and ministerial nominee, Hadi Sirika, has once again said that the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, should be shut.
Sirika, who earlier in the year threatened to shut the airport made the disclosure on Friday when he appeared he appeared before the senate for screening confirmation.
His threat to shut the airport did not go down well with stakeholders from the south-east.
But on Friday, the unrepentant Sirika described the runway of the airport as an eyesore, not befitting of a modern airport.
Sirika said, “I visited Enugu airport as minister thrice including the state government and unofficially twice. It has a lot of problems.”
“If you ask me, I will close Enugu airport tomorrow actually today because the runway has failed. They are maintaining it regularly to ensure safe operations. I am not comfortable because there are also other problems with the runway.
“It (runway) is short, it needs to be extended. We recognise the efforts by the federal government by closing down the market beside the airport. Also, people have built within the premises of the airport on the safety area of the airport and that ought not to be on the land belonging to Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)”.
“Whoever is the next minister will contend with that because this is safety. Enugu Airport will be dear to the next minister. That is my personal opinion. We are very jealous of that city and the airport.”
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