Chinelo Obogo
The Minister of Aviation, Captain Hadi Sirika, is in Enugu ahead of the planned reopening of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu on Sunday, August 30, 2020.
According to the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, the Minister relocated to the coal city along with his officials and aides.
Odaudu said the relocation is to monitor the finishing touches being done by the contractors handling the runway reconstruction and installation of facilities at the airport and to also to ensure that nothing stands in the way of the planned reopening.
A statement signed by Mr Odaudu said that Minister Sirika has assured that everything possible is being done to ensure that passengers begin to enjoy flight operations at the airport from Sunday.
‘There have been apprehension about the possibility of the resumption of flights at the airport as planned as a result of the recent unwarranted and ill-advised pulling down of about two kilometres stretch of the perimeter fence of the airport by an individual claiming ownership of the land on which the fence was raised.
‘The Minister has however given assurance that everything possible is being done to ensure that the people of the South East region who are the major beneficiaries of the project, begin to enjoy flight operations at the airport from Sunday.
‘Sirika also commends the governors of the South East states especially Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for joining efforts with the Ministry of Aviation to ensure a successful return of activities at the airport,’ he said.
The Minister, during the earlier rehabilitation of the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, had similarly relocated to Kaduna for a number of days to ensure a seamless operation of flights at the Kaduna airport which then served as an alternate to the shut Abuja airport.
The Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu was shut down in August 2019 to enable the Federal government reconstruct the runway which had become so dilapidated that aviation experts described it as an accident waiting to happen.