By Chris Ndibe
The South East Governors Forum has appealed to President Muhamadu Buhari to allow more international flights to the reopened Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu.
The Chairman of forum, Gov. Dave Umayi of Ebonyi State made the appeal during the reopening ceremony of the airport in Enugu State on Sunday.
Umayi said adequate international flight operations would improve the socioeconomic activities in the region.
The governor also commended the president for the reopening and recommencement of flight operations into the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu after rehabilitation of the runway.
Umaji urged the president through the Minister of aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika to hasten the completion of works at the airport and ensure more international flights operate from the airport.
The governors present from the South East include Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, Dave Umayi of Ebonyi, Willy Obiano of Anambra, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Deputy Governor Imo State.
Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi thanked the president for approving N10bn to start and fast track the rehabilitation of the runway and other critical infrastructure at the airport.
He said: ”The Enugu state government in a bid to ensure a levelling environment to help the project along completely removed all the obstacles and projects including the Emene market which attracted birds and was a safety concern.
“Complete removal of all encroachment at the airport environment, We totally removed the radio and television mast from the airport, we constructed a 1.3 km asphalt road
“We removed five units of two storey houses, 14 units of houses, one church cathedral, 438 shopping malls along Eleme among other things. We did a number of sacrifice for the Enugu airport and now it is a sacrifice that is worth it.
Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu demanded three things for the hub of the South East including immediate commercial flights, approval of more international flights and the completion of the cargo section of the airport.
He said: ”We want immediate commercial flights to start coming into Enugu. We also seek the approval of more international flights into Enugu Airport, Emirates and others and we wish the president to finish the cargo section of the airport.
Ekweremadu also expressed gratitude to four individuals for their outstanding work to ensure Enugu International Airport is a reality
According to him, three of the four men who made this happen were from Katsina, state.
Ekweremadu expressed gratitude to late President Umaru Yar’Adua who granted approval for Enugu to be designated an international airport after its approval as an airport on Oct. 22, 1976.
He thanked the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan for ensuring that the airport was gazetted as an international airport and the start of operations.
The former Deputy senate president expressed gratitude to Buhari for approving N10 billion to see the project through to its conclusion.
He also thanked the minister for ensuring he made the promise to deliver if within a year and stuck to his guns.
The first aircraft, a turbo prop with registration marks 5N-FCT landed at 12:50pm from Abuja while another aircraft, an Air Peace Embraer 145- with registration marks 5N-BUV landed at 1:40pm.
