President Umaru Musa Yar�adua, has given approval for the upgrading of the Akanu Ibiam Airport , Enugu, to the status of an international airport.
This was contained in a press statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Transportation, Lawrence Ojabo. He quoted the Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke as saying that President Umaru Musa Yar�Adua approved the upgrading of the airport to �alleviate the travails of the many business men and travelers to the South East zone.�
She said the Presidential approval would enable the Ministry commence a phased programme of major infrastructural upgrading and developments at the airport, to transform it into a major sub-regional transportation hub.This would be achieved by �utilising existing budgetary appropriations along with new initiatives under Private Investment Schemes to generate the requisite funds.�
Alison-Madueke expressed the hope that the exercise could be completed within the next few years.
She reiterated that the Federal Government is committed to the completion of the Domestic Terminal building at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.She added that the modernising and upgrading of infrastructure at the airport remain a top priority of the administration of Yar�Adua.
She ordered contractors handling the PortHarcourt International Airport to expedite action to ensure that it was open to commercial traffic before Christmas recalling that approval was given about two months ago for the settlement of outstanding payments to the contractors handling the runway lighting system, and expressed the hope that the contractors would reciprocate government�s goodwill by working round the clock to meet her deadline of first quarter of 2008 for the completion of all works and handing over of the airport to the Federal Government.
She directed that while minor work was still going on at the airport the airport should at least begin daylight operations during the hours between 8.00am and 6.00pm, to ease the sufferings of businessmen and air travelers to that destination.
Alison-Madueke also directed the Director-General of NCAA to ensure that all necessary safety parameters are put in place to allow daylight operations take off within the next five weeks in order to facilitate full scale commercial activities in the area.
Source: This Day