For a moment, I thought the minister of state for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, must belong to another part of the world. When he swore to his honour that he would resign his appointment as minister if the Abuja airport which he shut down for six weeks for repairs was not opened at the appointed time, many said it was a mere political gimmick to justify the closure. Many even described the closure as insane, and for good reason too. How can a nation seeking to overtake other serious-minded countries in development and advancement index by 2020 shut down completely one of its busiest hubs especially the one that welcomes the high and mighty including diplomats, heads of governments and investors to its political capital? It was a sad moment for any pan-Nigerian citizen; for anybody who loves this country. It was bad PR for the nation; an indexation of a people who are not serious with governance and leadership, a people who lack vision and planning.

The reason for the closure was that the runway was totally bad, a way-station to the grave if we continue to manage it. It was so bad that partial closure was not an option. The repair had to be total otherwise we endanger the lives of passengers as well as impair the technical strength of the aircraft. Laymen like this writer had suggested partial closure. It was difficult to imagine a federal capital territory as busy as Abuja without a functional airport for six weeks but Sirika said it was inevitable.

He told Nigerians that the 34-year-old runway had completely failed. Anybody who uses the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, would agree with the minister that there was something fundamentally wrong with the runway. It had seen years of abuse, misuse and unfair treatment from a nation that lacks the culture of maintenance. And for over three decades, it had lost its tensile strength, at some points bare earth is exposed. Its undulating surface meant that smooth landing was a miracle and you need an equal measure of prayer and fasting to achieve a smooth take-off. Those familiar with aviation and avionics know that landing and taking-off are the two most critical points in flight operations and both have so much to do with the state of the runway as much as the state of the aircraft.

Sirika himself should know. He is a pilot by profession. He knew what damage a bad runway with poor lighting system could do to an aircraft and the danger it poses to passengers’ lives. He has had a career as a pilot for decades. He also holds an Aircraft Engineers’ License from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Training Centre, Zaria in Kaduna State as well as a Pilot License from Delta Aeronautics International, United States. So, he is eminently qualified for the portfolio he mans. And this is the point I have always emphasised in public appointments. People should be appointed for tasks they have core competence in; no minister should be appointed to an office where he comes to learn the ropes. Appointees should come prepared for their offices; fit, rounded and ready. Sirika is a living proof of round pegs in round holes.  I have stated aforetime that there are many misfits in the Buhari cabinet muddling through their duties because they lack competence and character. Discharging one’s duties in a critical sector goes beyond speaking good English with a good dose of feigned phonetics. It goes beyond making powerful PowerPoint presentations. It is about competence and capacity to plan and envision.

When Sirika said openly that he would resign if the Abuja airport repair work was not delivered within the 6 weeks deadline; he knew what he was saying. He probably was the only one travelling that road of optimism. Members of the National Assembly were skeptical, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) merely urged him to keep to his promise in a manner that betrayed their pessimism. And you don’t blame anybody. Nigerians had been fooled over the years by public officers who make promises they can’t keep.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo upon assuming office as a democratically elected President in 1999 addressed the nation on national television with a promise to deliver constant supply of electricity. After eight unbroken years of his government, the power situation in the country got worse. That was a monumental promise not kept. A particular minister even boasted of exorcising the demon tormenting the nation’s power throughput but he too failed to achieve a canter. He failed to provide basic electricity. But Sirika made a promise and he kept it. His optimism was reassuring.

No doubt, the closure of Abuja airport must have cost the nation a lot. Aside the N5.8 billion to fix the runway and other props including lighting effects, the over N1 billion spent on logistics to relocate airport services support staff, the nation lost billions of naira with major international airlines avoiding Kaduna airport for six weeks coupled with a drop in domestic passenger haulage but it was a sacrifice worth making.

One major positive from the whole saga is that in Kaduna airport, Nigeria now has an international airport that can take the pressure off Abuja and function effectively as an alternative in moments of emergencies. But this must never be allowed to happen again. We must never allow a runway or any facility at any airport to degenerate to the point that total shut down becomes inevitable. No serious nation does that. The government must also inquire into how the two agencies, NCAA and FAAN, allowed the Abuja airport to degenerate to the point of total closure. It’s obvious that the previous governments must have played politics with the Abuja airport. Nigerian governments have a knack for playing politics all through their tenure in lieu of the serious business of governance.

But no matter, we still do not have standard airports befitting a nation that wants to attract big investments and join the club of top 20 economies in the world. Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt deserve standard international airports. Sirika must begin the process of bequeathing modern airports to Nigerians before the expiration of the tenure of this government. For a start, a second runway for Abuja airport is now a must have.

Overall, Sirika did what many consider unNigerian; a public office holder staking his reputation and job as an assurance of his capacity to deliver on a project. He did not only deliver, he did it ahead of time. The man from Katsina, a former Senator, ex-member of the House of Representatives and a loyalist of President Buhari has raised the banner of hope in a season of despair. We want to see such pragmatic delivery, matching words with action, in other sectors particularly in the power sector, road construction and rehabilitation, healthcare but most especially in power delivery. Nigeria needs a minister like Sirika to deliver steady electricity. A minister should be dedicated to providing electricity. And such minister must be competent, not a learner, not a good grammarian but a technically sound person who would envision, plan and deliver with clear roadmaps and deadlines. These past six weeks I carefully avoided Abuja but not anymore. I have already packed to embrace this enchanting rocky city that is fast emerging the pride of Africa.

Culled from Sunday Sun, April 23, 2017