Relief As Enugu Airport Opens August 30, Minister Relocates To Enugu |The Source

By Uche Mbah

One year after the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, was shut  to enable the Federal government affect a reconstruction work on the runway the airport will be re-opened on August 30.

The government had fixed last April for the reopening, but the  advent of the Coronavirus pandemic forestalled it.

This time, the Minister of Aviation is relocating to Enugu to personally monitor the final phases of the work. This is a repeat of the same protocol he followed when the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja was being renovated. He relocated to Kaduna, the alternate Airport to make sure traffic went on smoothly.

The Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, in a press statement, said that this is to monitor the finishing touches being carried out by the contractors handling the runway reconstruction and installation of facilities at the airport.

Many Nigerians had taken up skepticism in reaction to the reopening of the airport, citing alleged deliberate marginalization of the south east by the current government. They alleged that the federal government was paying lip service to the reopening, as reports filtered in that FG closed down the airport before awarding the contract, resulting in many weeks of waste, before  equipment was mobilized to site.

There was further apprehension when, recently, an individual pulled down two kilometers of the perimeter fence of the airport claiming that it encroached on his private property. The Minister immediately jetted to Enugu, and the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, took drastic action by demolishing the man’s property close to the airport.

The Minister, however, assured that government is doing everything possible  to ensure that the people of the South East region begins to enjoy flight operations at the airport from soon.

He commended the South-east Governors, particularly, Governor Ugwuanyi, for their  efforts in supporting  the Ministry of Aviation to ensure the successful return of activities at the airport.