The Chairman of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Chief Abiri Godwin Abiri, has described air transportation as the fastest and safest means of travel. He commended the state governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, for prioritizing the renovation and reconstruction of the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport, Onueke.
Hon. Abiri also praised the Commissioner for Aviation, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu, for the significant improvements and maintenance culture implemented at the airport, particularly the reconstruction of its runway, which he described as the largest in sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking at the Assembly Complex during the Public Accounts Committee’s engagement with the Ministry of Aviation, Hon. Abiri, who represents Izzi West Constituency, applauded the wife of the state governor, Chief Mrs. Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, for her efforts in hosting prominent dignitaries, including the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the Vice President, and other governors’ wives during this year’s Women’s Day celebration. The event also marked the commissioning of the newly reconstructed airport runway.
The Committee Chairman further commended the achievements of the BERWO (Better Rural Women’s Outreach) programs initiated by the governor’s wife, noting their positive impact on rural women and underprivileged members of society.
He concluded by lauding the ingenuity of Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu and urged her to provide the committee with details of the airport’s challenges and financial inflows and outflows to identify areas requiring intervention.
In her response, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu highlighted several measures taken to enhance the airport’s operations. These included asphalting the runway, repairing the leaking terminal building roof, procuring and installing traffic control equipment, and rehabilitating the airport’s police station and detention facility.
While expressing gratitude to the committee for its support, she lamented the persistent challenge of transporting workers to the airport. She added that collaborations with international operators, including Berlin and Dubai, are underway, with plans to commence full operations at the airport by December 2024.