By Uche Mbah
Indications are that the Federal Government has finally fixed a deadline for the reopening of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. The deadline is now Easter 2020.
Initially, there were no indications of a deadline for the reopening of the Airport that the Federal government had claimed was closed for security reasons. Even now, workers are reportedly yet to be mobilized to site.
But the minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had claimed that the Airport was previously slated to be reopened by December to accommodate the Christmas rush-a statement that appears to be an afterthought since there was no indications that work would even have commenced before then.
Experts have contended that the renovations, at standard pace, should take about one month to round up.
Sirika, who made the statement when he was answering questions from Honorable Members in the House of representatives Tuesday complained that the Presidency is yet to release the approved N10 billion for the project. Judging from precedents, it is doubtful if the full amount will be released to the Ministry, or that it will be released on time.
Meeting the deadline is dependent on the release of the funds.
Sirika, however, said that the work will not “last beyond Easter and it will be so delivered in such a way that we will treat the Enugu problem once and for all”.
Recall that the Airport was closed down on security reasons without the government putting things in place for the renovation work. It was after the closure that the search even for the contractors, the funding and other issues started. The Aviation Ministry requested for the sum of N10 billion for the rehabilitation work but Federal Government remained uncommitted. It took the South east governors and leaders of thought to go and see President Buhari on the Issue before a policy statement on the rehabilitation was made. The Government then approved the N10 billion requested by the Ministry.
