Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) has disclosed that Zenith Insurance, has conducted the evaluation of the damage caused by recent fire incident at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, and has agreed to pay the claims in full.

Following the recent fire incident, Saleh Dunoma, the managing director, FAAN paid a visit to the airport on ThursDay.

Dunoma assured that the Authority will do all within its powers to ensure that the airport is renovated as soon as possible, so as to ameliorate the inconveniences the incident may cause airport users.

This visit by the MD was the second of such from the management of the Authority in two days, as Salisu Daura, the Director of Engineering Services of the Authority, had earlier led a team of Management staff to the airport on the 10th April, 2019.

On arrival, the Managing Director who went straight to the scene of the incident to see for himself the extent of damage caused by the fire, was joined by the Authority’s Directors of Engineering Services, Human Resources & Administration, Commercial & Business Development, General Managers, Civil & Building, Safety as well as the Airport Manager and her team.

Dunoma, who used the opportunity to appreciate Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the incumbent Governor of the State, and Emeka Ihedioha, the Governor Elect, for their support and timely intervention during the incident, also thanked the Air Force commandant, the Divisional Police Officer, Owerri airport command and their team for the role they played during the incident.

Stating that a committee has already been constituted to inquire into the remote cause of the incident, the MD advised the Airport Management to continue to engage the host communities and other stakeholders collaboratively in the interest of all.

 

IFEOMA OKEKE

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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