“Kano International Airport Not Yet Safe” – Sirika. By Daisy BARRO

 

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has revealed that health and security concerns are responsible for the continuous suspension of operations at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

Sirika divulged this in response to an appeal by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who led a delegation to see him recently.

 According to Ganduje, his visit to Sirika was executed for two main reasons: to appreciate the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari for the completion of the international wing of Kano airport, and to appeal for the resumption of international flights at the said airport.

After listening to his concerns about the devastating effects the present suspension is having on the state’s economy, Sirika assured the Governor that it was also his wish to see the airport reopen for operations, but that the present health and security threats posed by the airport remain a problem. In his own words, “The suspension of international flights to and from the airport is denying the Ministry and its agencies a lot of revenue,” Sirika said.

Despite this, Sirika challenged Kano indigenes to be creative in amplifying the viability of the Kano International Airport and stepping up passenger traffic at the terminal. According to him, achieving this – together with addressing the present health and security concerns – will no doubt contribute in hastening the Federal Government’s decision to restart operations at the terminal.