Govt drops plan to upgrade Enugu airport
From Leo Sobechi,
Abakaliki
THE Federal Government may have shelved its plan to upgrade the Enugu Airport and give it an international status.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Chris Nshii told reporters in Abakaliki that the Imo Airport, which had more facilities had displaced Enugu in the consideration for a change of status.
The Senator said: "the Federal Government and my committee are currently favourably disposed to Owerri Airport becoming an international facility for the reason of facilities on the ground provided in the past four years under the tenure of Dr. Kema Chikwe as Aviation Minister."
The Senate Committee chairman revealed that recently, N350 million was approved for the Federal Airport Authority for the provision of modern facilities at the Imo Airport.
"The airport, which received approval from President Olusegun Obasanjo for a name change to Sam Mbakwe Airport, was planned at inception to be an international airport," he explained.
Nshii further explained that the airport had been expanded to the extent that both the runway and terminus building could accommodate big aircraft.
He revealed that facilities at the Enugu airport had remained obsolete due to neglect, such that it would cost much to upgrade.
Nshii pointed out that at Enugu airport, "there is no standard landing system and the runway is very shabby. "Our concern is that there should be an International airport in the East but if we pursue two, we will lose all.
"The former Minister of Aviation (Dr. Kema Chikwe) prepared all the ground work, providing all the facilities to make Owerri an international airport."
The committee chairman however noted that the plan to upgrade the Enugu airport had not been abandoned, adding that the Federal Government was yet to take a final decision on the matter.
While confirming that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) was owing contractors N15 billion, the Senator revealed that FAAN had been directed by his committee to start settling the debts even if by instalments, to avoid embarrassment to the authority.
On the issue of purchasing another executive jet for the President, Nshii, said that his committee supported that, adding that already N5 billion had been made available in this year's budget for that purpose.
The Senate committee chairman warned that airlines using aged aircraft in the country would be thrown out of business to safeguard the lives of Nigerians. He stressed that the aviation industry needed to comply with international standards.
