NAIA 2ND RUNWAY PROJECT: JIWA Community Hands Over land to FGN

… Kayemo assures indigenes right of first refusal on job opportunities and welfare Benefits in 2024 Budget

Oru Leonard 

As the Federal Government of Nigeria kicks off on delivering the Abuja second runway project, the Emir of Jiwa community, Alhaji Idris Musa, has officially handed over about twelve thousand hectares of land for the construction of a second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo commended the people of Jiwa community for sacrificing their farms for the construction of the second runway. He assured the community that the Federal Government’s 2024 budget will benefit and bring meaningful development to the community by constructing Hospitals, Roads and other infrastructures as part of palliatives for their sacrifice.

He further urged the Construction Company, the China Civil Engineering Construction Company to engage the community youths in the project.

He stated, “I don’t want to hear you hiring labourers, Carpenters, Welders and Artisan outside. Engage the youths of this community in all these works for speedy completion of the project.”

During the official handover of the construction site to the Federal Ministry of Aviation, his royal highness, Alhaji Idris Musa who debunked the rumour that billions of naira was paid to him by government, urged the youth to be law abiding respect the decision of the government on the project.

Alhaji Musa expressed concerns with the compensation package, saying that the amount is low looking at how the people of Jiwa community sacrificed their lands for the project and pleaded with the government to fulfil the promise it made of bringing meaningful development to Jiwa community.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Buhari Abdulfatai assured the community that the committee is going to look at the compensation package and urged the community to offer maximum corporation to the Contractors for speedy completion of the project.

The second runway project was initiated by the immediate past government of President Muhammadu Buhari under the Supervision of the former Minister of Aviation Senetor Hadi Sirika, with the aim to expand the airport to accommodate more aircraft and strengthen Civil Aviation Industry in Nigeria and Africa at large.