The South East Governors’ Forum on Tuesday wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari asking him to delay the closure of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu to end of October from the earlier proposed date of August 24, 2019 so that adequate arrangements for alternative could be made for the airport users in the zone.
The governors said they had to write to the President to intervene in what they described as “prompt” closure of the airport which allowed for “no time to make adequate arrangement for the security and convenience of our people and visitors to the South East who will be travelling long distances to alternative airports where flights will be diverted to” following the closure.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had notified airlines, passengers and all other stakeholders that effective 00:00 on August 24, 2019, the runway at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu would be closed for major repairs and works on the airfield. The move, FAAN had said, is aimed at resolving the existing safety and security concerns to flight operations.
But in the letter to Buhari signed by David Umahi, Ebonyi State governor and chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, and made available to BusinessDay in Abakaliki by Emmanuel Uzor, chief press secretary to the governor, the governors called on the President to direct the aviation sector of the Federal Ministry of Transport to provide immediate palliatives in form of transportation with armed escorts and helicopter services to prospective passengers from alternative airports that connect the zone.
The governors pleaded for collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Works and the South East Governors’ Forum to carry out palliative repairs on the major roads leading to the alternative airports as well as clear all the bushes along the routes for better view of road users.
They also appealed to Mr. President to approve their earlier resolution banning herdsmen without cattle and movement of cattle by foot in the zone to eliminate increasing cases of killing, maiming, raping of women, kidnapping of people and destruction of farmlands mostly carried out by foreign herdsmen with the backing of some compromised local herders.
The governors further called for 24-hour joint security patrol to be provided for the safety of the people and visitors to the South East who will be using the roads day and night through the alternative airports.
“The South East Governors’ Forum highly appreciates Your Excellency Mr. President for granting our request for the immediate resurfacing of the tarmac and extension of the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu for public safety,” the governors said in the letter.
“May we use this opportunity to also thank you for the consistent progress of works at the Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha and other Federal Government projects in the South East, especially the completion of the Zik’s Mausoleum in Onitsha and 2.8 megawatt solar-power plant at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo in Ebonyi State,” they said.
As they thanked the President, the governors said they were “constrained to ask for your kind intervention in the observations we have made to the Federal Ministries of Transport (Aviation sector) and Works on the closure of the airport for the renovation works”.
“Your Excellency, in our letters to the respective ministries, we observed that the notification of the closure was prompt giving us no time to make adequate arrangement for the security and convenience of our people and visitors to the South East who will be travelling long distances to alternative airports where flights will be diverted to,” the governors said.
“We request that the closure of the airport be deferred to the end of October 2019 to enable adequate arrangements to be made for security of the airport users and for few remedial works within seven (7) days to be carried out at the tarmac to ensure safety,” they said.
They asked the President to approve the earlier resolution of the South East Governors “banning herdsmen without cattle and movement of cattle by foot in the zone to eliminate increasing cases of killing, maiming, raping of our women, kidnapping of our people and destruction of our farmlands mostly carried out by foreign herdsmen and in most cases with the backing of some compromised local herders”.
“We plead with Mr. President that we publish this letter to assuage our people’s feelings who erroneously think that no efforts are being made by the leaders of the South East to tackle insecurity and economic challenges facing the zone and to let them know that her leaders before now have been working very hard without making noise as issues of security must not be discussed in the public,” the governors said in the letter.
NKECHINYERE OGINYI, Abakaliki
