The House Committee Chairman on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji has expressed appreciation to President Mohammed Buhari for granting the approval of the sum of N10 billion naira Special Intervention Fund for the reconstruction of the collapsed Akanu Ibiam International Airport, (AIIA) Enugu Runway and associated facilities.
The approval was communicated to the southeast delegation during its visit to the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
Nnaji who was reacting to the news of the President’s approval noted that the airport was critical to the people of South East and environ because it was the only international gateway serving the entire region.
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Nnaji who praised the tenacity and the commitment shown by the Governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Traditional Rulers, the Clergy and the entire leaders of the southeast extraction in pursuance of this course, also commended the entire members of the House of Representatives and its leadership for their unprecedented support to the motion earlier sponsored by the southeast caucus regarding the airport.
“I commend the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Captain Hadi Sirika for his steadfastness in fighting for the approval of the fund. Immediately he assumed office he visited Enugu and assured our leaders that the airport will be fixed before the Christmas season,” Nnaji said.
He disclosed that when the Minister met the Aviation House Committee, on the unanimous motion mandating it to find out why work had not commenced on the airport runway more than one month after its closure, Sirika gave a commitment that the request for the fund was already before the president and that once he received the approval he would be on the contractor’s back to ensure prompt delivery.
Nnaji said he was confident that the Minister will perform the feet judging from the speed with which he delivered on Abuja airport, adding that the Aviation committee by the mandate of the House of Representatives will work with the authorities to monitor the progress of the job once the contractor mobilizes to site.
Nnaji said he was also hopeful that the attention given to Akanu Ibiam International Airport would be extended to other airports that need quick intervention.
