The chairman senate committee on finance senator Sani Mohammed says the federal government’s priority is creating initiatives that will complement the investment of sub national governments on federal infrastructure rather than refunding the monies spent.
The lawmaker disclosed this during an inspection of the ongoing remodeling of the Minna international airport.
Currently at the final stage of renovation, the Dr Imam Kagara international airport has been abandoned for 11 years. Residents that intend to travel by air often travel all the way to neighbouring Abuja Nigeria’s capital city or Kano state.
In march 2017 when the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport Abuja was to be closed for repairs, the Minna airport was suggested to be used as an alternative airport for flights due to its proximity to Abuja but it was turned down due to poor infrastructure.
Senator Bukola Saraki who was the president of the senate at that time expressed worry about the non-completion of the re-modeling projects which left the federal government with no other option but to adopt Kaduna Airport.
With renovation of the airport almost completed by the Niger state government, the chairman senate committee on finance said the priority of the federal government is not to refund monies to sub national governments for expenses carried out on federal government’s infrastructures but to complement the work done by making further investments that will directly benefit the state.
It is expected that the airport will be ready to airlift pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the next Muslim hajj.
