The Niger state governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu has expressed concern over the slow pace of renovation work at the Minna airport, that as an alternate airport to Abuja, it is only right for the place to be operationally ready at all times.
Aliyu made his feelings known yesterday in Minna, during an Award of Excellence presented to him by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), saying that Minna airport is supposed to be the commercial hub for all travellers as it is the practice in developed countries.
The governor, urged the agency and other relevant authorities to ensure that airports be made operationally ready and aircrafts airworthy.
“Please tell the relevant authority about the need to quickly upgrade the Minna airport if it must serve its purpose as alternate to the Abuja airport. We must not wait for emergencies before doing the right thing”, he said.
Aliyu urged NAMA and visiting mangers of all 30 airports in the country that were on his entourage during the courtesy visit, to ensure Federal Government obliges its earlier promise to send a simulator to Minna airport , as this has not been done since the past 20 years.
The governor advocated that every single aircraft on operational duties must be air worthy adding that the only way to avert disaster is to report airline operators with faulty aircrafts.
In his Response, the Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam, promised to communicate the issues raised by the governor to the relevant authorities.
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