By
Moses Peter, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Government has assured Nigerians that operations will soon start at Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo Airport.
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Aviation, Dr Ngozi Obichukwu disclosed this to Journalists during the site inspection at the airport in Abakaliki the State Capital.
Obichukwu said “I am happy today that we are here. Like I said it is routinal something to involve the press. If you do not blow your trumpet, another person will blow it wrongly. We are here as a team to tell you what our dear governor is doing on the runway of the Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo Airport”
“Many have been asking questions, are we good to go? Are we able to deliver the road by May as we promise. With your eyes and your senses, you people have seen what we have done and the extent we have gone”
“His Excellency, Mr Francis Nwifuru has made a promise and he has kept to the promise. He is so committed that he is not sparing any minute and the people that he enegaged, the contractors that won the bidding have been up and doing. They work even on Sundays and they have been up to expectations”.
“To me , I am very happy. Happy with the IDI, with the engineers on site, happy with all the monitoring HODs and I want to say that I am fulfilled”
“Another thing is that by the grace of God, I said it yesterday when I got a call from the UK that a private jet wants to land here, I told him that they are free to land but we have a little challenge and what was that the runway has not been marked. When we mark the runway now, even Buoyen 43747 and whatever Buoyen can land here and taxi to the terminal way”
The Commissioner added that “we are not afraid and we are happy. I have told you to challenge us. Ebony State runway is the best in the country, bearing in mind that before the asphalting, we had a concrete background. We had a very solid concrete lay, courtesy of our former governor , Engineer David Nweze Umahi. He made it solid and the asphalting has added to that and I want to appreciate all the players here, most especially my dear governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. The kilometre the runway is approximately 3.2”
She said the runway will last like about 50-80 years. This runway will still be what it is.
“Before the asphalting, we have started witnessing the coming in of flights and you know like I have said before, it is both human and cargo airport. We are good to go interms of exporting our food. Ebonyi State is good with production. We can export our rice, we can export our garri and even our salt. We will package it in a way that is acceptable and pacakage it out”.Sh said.
She said the airport is at the centre of attraction as southeast is concerned. Those of them that are coming from Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Imo even part of Cross River will be landing here. Those of them that are travelling from outside will be landing here. It will not only be a behive of activities, but an economic hub of the southeast because many people will.benefit from here.
“We already had an agreement and pact with some airliners. We have already collaborated with them before this facelift. It was because some of them landed and landed in the bush. So, we are already partnering with them. Yes, some of the aircrfat skip off the runway. That is the major reason we started this work. We have spoken to some airliners and they are already partnering with us”. She said.
She announced that the governor is making all frantic effort to make sure we have our own airline
The site Manager, Mr Zub i Ata of infrastructural Development Company IDC said the work is moving well and shall be completed.