A frontline rights activist, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, has alleged a hidden agenda in the forthcoming closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Federal Government’s insistence on the use of the Kaduna Airport as an alternative during the period of the closure scheduled to start from March 8, 2017.

Onwubiko, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), described as “ill advised . . . the decision to shut Abuja international airport for six weeks and to divert all flights to the unknown Kaduna airport.”

Onwubiko in a piece uploaded on his Facebook wall described this part of “well crafted political moves within the Arewa Consultative Council with headquarters in Kaduna to stylishly AREWANIZE the aviation industry in Nigeria and to seek international relevance for the Kaduna airport that has remained stunted since it was established due to poor patronage, incompetent management, inter-religious violence and poor facilities due to official theft of public fund.”

Continuing, he said: “It does not take rocket science to fix the so called tarmac that needs ‘renovation’. In some other climes such reconstruction works are done within hours in the wee hours of the morning with minimal distraction to scheduled flights. Why will it take these engineers a whole six weeks which is like eternity in the world of aviation business to shut down such a significant national airport just so a regional commercial and political benefits can be gained? I had overrated this aviation minister but with this irrational decision it’s clear he is a round peg in a square hole. Shameful!”

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