The interaction between the Senate and Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, on the proposed closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, ended in deadlock on Thursday.
The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, said discussion on the matter resumes will next Tuesday.
The inability of Sirika to give the Senate the exact cost of the repair works made the Senate to ask the minister to come back with the vital information on Tuesday.
Sirika, Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, that of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bello Mohammed, Chief of Air Staff, Managing Director of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and others were invited by the Senate to furnish the upper chamber with detailed explanation on why the airport will be closed for six weeks.
Sirika told the lawmakers that the Federal Government planned to fix the airport dilapidated runway.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, asked Sirika to furnish the Senate with the cost of the repair work and the cost of ferrying passengers from Kaduna to Abuja during the closure of airport.
Ekweremadu said, “Mr. Minister, can you please give us the cost of the repair works and the breakdown of the financial cost? Specifically how much you intend to spend in conveying passengers from Kaduna Airport to Abuja during the closure of Abuja Airport? We need to know.”
The minister put the cost of the project at N5.8 billion.