On Friday, Oluremi Tinubu, Wife of the President, attended the grand finale of Ebonyi Women’s Day 2024.
During the visit, Tinubu inaugurated the runway section of the Chuba Okadigbo Airport in Ebonyi State, which the state government recently rehabilitated.
The president’s wife arrived at Okadigbo Airport at 3:17 p.m. and was received by Governor Francis Nwifuru, his wife Mary-Maudline, about 23 wives of governors from different states of the federation, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius, National Assembly members of the state extraction, and other stakeholders.
Correspondent reports that the N42bn Chuba Okadigbo Airport, located in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area of the state, was constructed by the past administration of David Umahi, who is now Minister of Works. Governor Francis Nwifuru embarked on the rehabilitation of the airport runway upon his assumption of office.
Because it was not operational following the bad nature of the runway which prevented aircraft from landing on it.
Inaugurating the runway, Tinubu said “I am really glad we came, and I see how beautiful Nigeria is. We, you know, we don’t promote ourselves. What I saw today, I was even sharing that we went to Burundi, I thought they did well.
“For a state in Nigeria, your runway was better than what I was even commending them for. So, we want to thank God for the good work the governor has been doing and let me recognize Her Excellency, the wife of the Vice President, and also the former Senate President, Senator Pius Anyim.
“I thank God for today, and it is with this honor that I commission this runway to the glory of God, and we pray that, and the benefit of mankind, but we pray that this runway, planes will land here safely, they will take off safely, there will never be any accident on this runway, and this runway will bring businesses to Ebonyi State”, she said.
Francis Nwifuru Governor of Ebonyi State in a remark thanked President Bola Tinubu for the assistance he gave the state which enabled the state to upgrade the runway.
“We came in, on the 29th day of May, 2023, and as of then, we used concrete to build this runway. We didn’t know, as a state, that concrete is not accepted to be used to build run runways” And when we came in, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority closed the airport, that this place is not a place that a plane can land, and we decided to start rebuilding the runway”,
“Based on the support and the help of your husband, by the special grace of God, we did the runway and completed it to be one of the best runways in this country, Nigeria”.
Ngozi Obichukwu the Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology in the state, said the airport will commence commercial flight operations in December.
She noted that all the challenges and obstacles that would have prevented the commercial flight takeoff have been swiftly handled by the Governor Nwifuru administration.
“When we started, it was as if it could not go, but the Lord strengthened Nwifuru through prudence and transparency and economic wise, he was able to achieve this. Now that the Chuba Okadigbo’s airport runway has been commissioned, the flight operation will fully commence by December.
“We are kicking off by December. We are bringing in a commercial flights, and recall that our own aircraft is good to go. We are ready for Ebonyi Airways, which is already on. Very soon you come back here to launch it.
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