Ebonyi airport runway in better state, Oluremi Tinubu tells Nwifuru
Wife of the Nigeria’s President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday inaugurated the rehabilitated runway section of Chuba Okadigbo Airport in Ebonyi state.
This was as the Nigerian First Lady noted that the rehabilitated runway of was better than that of Burundi Airport which she said she admired.
Tinubu’s wife who was received at the Airport at 3:17pm by Governor Francis Nwifuru, his wife Mary-Maudline, wives of governors from different states of the federation, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius, National Assembly members from the state among other stakeholders inaugurated the runway on arrival to the state.
The airport which cost N42 billion is located in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area of the state.
Blueprint reports that it was constructed by the past administration of David Umahi who is now Minister of Works
But the runway was constructed with concrete and failed short of aviation standard.
Governor Nwifuru however, awarded the runway to a company for rehabilitation which gulped about N20 billion.
Inaugurating the runway, Senator Tinubu commended the governor for the rehabilitation which she described as unique.
“I am really glad we came, and I see how beautiful Nigeria is. We, you know, we don’t promote ourselves. What I saw today, I was even sharing that we went to Burundi, I thought they did well.
“For a state in Nigeria, your runway was better than what I was even commending them for. So, and we want to thank God for the good work the governor has been doing, and let me recognize Her Excellency, the wife of the Vice President, and also the former Senate President, Senator Pius Anyim.
“I thank God for today, and it is with this honor that I commission this runway to the glory of God, and we pray that, and the benefit of mankind, but we pray that this runway, planes will land here safely, they will take off safely, there will never be any accident on this runway, and this runway will bring businesses to Ebonyi State”, she said.
Governor Nwifuru in his remarks thanked President Bola Tinubu for the assistance he gave the state which enabled its to upgrade the runway.
He said: “We came in, on 29th day of May, 2023, and as of then, we used concrete to build this runway. We didn’t know, as a state, that concrete is not accepted to be used to build runway.
“And when we came in, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority closed the airport, that this place is not a place that a plane can land, and we decided to start rebuilding the runway”,
“Based on the support and the help of your husband, by the special grace of God, we did the runway and completed it to be one of the best runways in this country, Nigeria”.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Aviation, Ngozi Obichukwu, said the airport will commence commercial flight operations next month.
She noted that all the challenges and obstacles that would have prevented the commercial flight takeoff have been handled by the state government .
