Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru has defended the approval of N13.7billion for the rehabilitation of the Sen. Chuba Okadigbo airport, Onueke, despite being newly inaugurated.
The governor made the defence during a media chat as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence celebration and 27 years of the state’s creation.
The governor said that the airport should operate optimally considering the huge amount of money spent in constructing it.
“The question concerning the huge cost of rehabilitating the airport should be asked by every concerned Ebonyi citizen.
“A fellow governor recently asked me the same question and I maintained that the initators of the airport had germane intentions.
“They, however, didn’t get the runway right as it is not smooth for aircraft to land,” he said.
He noted that the situation has caused problems for several planes and made many to avoid landing at the facility.
“We thought the fault was the runway’s expansion joints and decided to close the joints.
“The problem persisted even when the expansion joints were closed.
“We contacted the federal ministry of aviation which outlined processes for the facility’s rehabilitation.”
The governor noted that inherent complexities resulted in the huge amount as the government opted for the best contractors to deliver the good.
The governor also clarified that the government will not dismantle various barricades mounted by the police and other security agencies around Abakaliki, especially at night.