Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru has demonstrated his willingness, efforts and courage in transforming the Chuba Okadigbo airport into a world class standard.
He demonstrated this by embarking on regular inspection of the Airport, to get it ready for inauguration soonest by the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The governor, Nwifuru in a bid to ensure speedy completion of the runway rehabilitation, control tower and putting the entire airport in a perfect use, has made sure that all contractors handling various projects at the airport, are paid up to ninety percent of the contract sum.
According to him: "the airport is what we think that our money should go into, and it is for the benefit of all of us, since our manifesto is centred on the 'People's charter of needs' we couldn't have spent so much money on this airport, but we have to become, we shouldn't abandon it.
"We have about three projects ongoing in this airport; the runway, control tower and it is almost one hundred percent completed. Another one is the security control light in this airport, and it is almost completed too" he said.
The governor Francis Nwifuru has equally vowed to challenge his critics, with the construction of gigantic projects across the thirteen local government areas of the state.
"When we assumed office, having campaigned on the same platform of Divine mandate, continuity and consolidation, we were constrained and it became an obligation that we complete this airport, and put it to the standard that everybody will be proud of.
"And as a people of Ebonyi state, we made a serious promise to our people that we will punish our enemies with very gigantic projects" he stated.
Nwifuru in a bid to get the airport completed, did not only ensured regular payment of salaries to airport workers, but accepted for an upward review of the contract sum of the runway, being handled by the infrastructure Development Company, IDC, from #13.5 billion to #17.3 billion, caused by inflation and cost of construction materials in the country.
"The contractor (IDC handling the airport runway rehabilitation) has been doing wonderfully well, but the state government has been doing very exceptionally well. At the beginning, early July, we agreed to re-award the construction of this runway. We gave it to IDC because they have an asphalt plant close to Ebonyi state. And they agreed to build an asphalt plant here, which you can see there.
"Due to the issue of fluctuation in our currency, this job was supposed to stop, if not the understanding, I personally talked to the contractor, I made serious promises. We called for an upward review. The runway was initially awarded for #13.735billion, at the time of the upward review, The balance left then was #4.7billion and we reviewed it upwards by 70 percent from the balance. And that's what made the contractor come back to site" he said.
The governor, Nwifuru through the ministry of Aviation and transport technology, led by Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu has created a Cargo unit for food produce export with the desire to boost the economy of the state: "We have plans to Have Airport hangers (Aircraft mechanic workshop) for repair of flights across the Country.
Nwifuru also through the ministry of Aviation and transport technology said it has plans to purchase aircraft for the state, establish College of Aviation, create massive jobs for the youths and as well to boost the economy of the state by greater percentage.
The governor, Nwifuru has equally set out to attract investors into the airport and some other parts of the state, and this, he has demonstrated through his recent engagement and partnership with various international agencies,who in no distant time, will start to develop the state beyond expectations.
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