The Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita
Chidoka, on Thursday said he would, henceforth, channel the resources of
the ministry to boost safety and security of Nigerian airports and move
away from the remodelling of terminals.
Speaking during an unscheduled tour of
the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, Chidoka said the focus
on security and safety was to ensure that the country retained its
Category One air safety certification.
He said, “I have tried to see that my
predecessor had done very well in the terminal buildings; so, all that
we need is to focus and complete the work that has already started.
“But with that, we want to pull our
resources away from the terminal remodelling and focus more on the
security and safety of the airports.
“While we want to make the passengers to
travel in a more convenient manner, we don’t want to compromise the
security of the airports. Our major strategy is to begin to look at the
safety component of our work.”
He noted that the move to retain the
United States Federal Aviation Authority Category One Status had
provided the opportunity to review the safety of Nigeria’s aviation
operations.
The minister said, “But more importantly,
we are making sure that there is an alignment between safety in the air
and the security of passengers, and the terminal buildings; and of
course, the passengers’ comfort.
“So, with that in mind, we are having a
total review of our security system in all the airports and I have
ordered the total review of the security system in all the airports with
a view to making sure that they meet global best practices.”
Chidoka noted that work was going on well
at the Abuja airport but added that “there is a lot of disruption to
passenger operations.”
He said, “Our strategy is that we need to
communicate more with the passengers. Between now and four to six
months, we shall get the new terminal up and running in the domestic
area.
“And by the time the work is completed, passengers will travel in a much more comfortable atmosphere”
