Follow Us on Google
From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Former governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi, has urged Governor Francis Nwifuru to rename the Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo Airport after one of the founding fathers of the state, Late Senator Offia Nwali.
Elechi, one of the leaders of the Movement for the Creation of Ebonyi State, made the appeal yesterday during the October 1 celebration at the Centenary City, Government House, Abakaliki.
He noted that late Dr. Nwali was the first person to present a paper before the National Assembly as a senator during the second republic in support of the creation of Ebonyi State.
He argued that the late Senator Chuba Okadigbo was a great Nigeria and an illustrious Igbo but did not contribute anything in the quest for the creation of the state.
He stated that the founding fathers of the state were not happy with the naming of the Airport after Okadigbo while the great sons of the state who fought for the creation of the state were not recognised.
He urged the governor to rename the Airport after Nwali or one of the founding fathers as a mark of honour.
“When I was state secretary of NPN (National Party of Nigeria), Okadigbo was vying for the senate. We were friendly. All I remember is that he used to visit me at 5, Igboeze Street, Enugu and we would settle over a bottle of brandy till the bottle was emptied. We did not talk about the Ebonyi people or their problems and solutions.
“Understandably, General Muhammadu Buhari knew our problems. When he was the Brigade Major in Abakaliki, he gave us the pass that enabled us to go to Ogoja to plead our case otherwise we would have been arrested by security people over what we were doing to create Ebonyi State.
“We love him and it was proper to name the airport after him. But since he didn’t accept it, the airport should be named after someone else. That airport is less than ten kilometres from the primary school where Senator Offia Nwali made his marks as a student. And that is the request I am making on behalf of the founding fathers and on behalf of the people of Ebonyi Central Zone.
“We thank you for your hard work and your vision for the development of Ebonyi State. It is a very good vision indeed,” he said.
