From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State will soon get an airport as a Federal Government’s delegation to actualise that purpose visited the state yesterday.
Speaking while receiving the delegation from the Federal Ministry of Aviation, led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Meribeole, in Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti assured that his administration would take the lead in ensuring that the ambition for an Abia Airport comes to fruition as soon as possible.
Governor Otti who expressed desire to see an Abia Airport standing in the next one year, noted that aside from locating the land for the project, owners of the land have also been reached for timely take-off of the project.
“One important thing about airport is also the location, so we now zeroed in on the place we are looking at the moment. We didn’t just identify the location, we went the extra mile of identifying the owners of the large expanse of land because it’s a huge parcel of land. We have already started a meeting with them.
“For us, we are in a hurry. I believe that all that is required to give you access, you will receive them in record time. This is to assure you that we are more than ready and that you will receive everything you require.”
“We hope that at least, in the next one year, an airport will be standing. We don’t intend to complete everything in one year, but at least, once we have the runway and the terminal building, the rest would come from time to time,” Otti told the delegation.
The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for consenting to set up an airstrip for the state, and for accommodating the same in the 2024 budget.
He also appreciated the Minister of Aviation, Mr Festus Keyamo, and his team, for being on the same page with him in envisioning an airport for Abia as soon as possible.
The leader of the delegation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Dr. Meribeole, had earlier while acknowledging the visionary leadership of Governor Otti towards a better Abia, said they were in the state to ensure that the land approved for the project was in alignment to the project.
He said part of the delegation were experts from Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), AEROSPACE, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) among others, noting that they were starting with airstrip as already approved by the Federal Government.
Dr Meribeole emphasized on the advantage of Abia having an Airport as it will lead to job creation, promotion of commerce, revenue generation and even development of the state.