STATUS REPORT BY CHARLES OGBU: Akanu Ibiam Airport Rehabilitation is Going On

Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu

A concerned citizen and member of the respected Igbo group, Nzukọ Ụmụnna, Mr Charles Ogbu, has published an account of what he describes as his personal findings on the renovation of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu state.

Recall that the Muhammadu Buhari administration had announced the closure of the airport on August 24, 2019, for rehabilitation works which it said would be completed by December, 2019 at the cost of N10 billion. But, as at Christmas last year, the airport was still closed, and renovation works said to still be in progress.

Since it's closure, international flights meant to land at Enugu have been diverted to Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), while domestic flights have been diverted to the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri.

As at October 9, 2019, work was yet to commence at the airport, 6 weeks after it had been closed for that purpose. The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu then sponsored a motion calling on President Buhari to wade into the issue to ensure commencement of works in order to meet up with the December deadline for reopening. This was despite reports which came in one week earlier than this on September 29, 2019 stating that the works had commenced.

On October 23, 2019, the minister of aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika, announced an extention of the completion date from December, 2019 to Easter in 2020 (which is usually held in April). He made the announcement when he appeared before the House of Reps Committee on Aviation to defend the 2020 budget of his ministry. He also disclosed at the time that though President Buhari had already approved the N10 billion needed for the project, the money had not been released.

To ensure speedy delivery of the project, some Igbo pressure groups have been lobbying the federal government and monitoring the progress of works at the Airport. See the report by Mr Charles Ogbu below:

Mr. Charles Ogbu

UPDATE ON THE ENUGU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RENOVATION.

First, let me apologize for failing to do this much earlier. I was waiting for an opportunity to visit Enugu to verify all my info. 

Let me quickly make some clarifications; I am not a member of the committee inaugurated to monitor progress of works on the Enugu Airport. I merely attended an expanded meeting of the Southeast Governors Forum with the Aviation minister in my capacity as a member of an Igbo group, Nzuko Umunna which took up the issue of the Airport with the aviation ministry and made numberless interventions towards getting the govt to start work on the Airport long before our Governors woke up to the matter. 

The Southeast Governors read our presentation and invited Nzuko Umunna to the meeting with the minister. The group (Nzuko Umunna) then nominated a 5-member delegation to attend the meeting. I was made the Secretary. Since then, everything I've written on the airport stem from information I personally sourced from different quarters and verified myself in my individual VOLUNTARY capacity. 

If I travel to the Airport to verify anything, I do so with my own transport fare. In fact, on November, 2019, I came all the way from Abuja to Enugu and visited the Airport with Clinton Umeh who is an Enugu based publisher of "Journalist 101" but we were denied entry because I came in my individual capacity. I had to go back to my base with my transport and hotel fee wasted. I'm not making this clarification for anyone to praise me. Not at all. I'm doing this clarification because I've noticed there are so many toxic people here, from amongst my Igbo people, who tackle me as though I were their elected representative being paid salaries and allowances. Please, I am not.

Back to the Update

Work is currently ongoing at the Airport. Aside the runway, a terminal building (being handled by CCECC), clinic, fencing and water supply will be put in place at the Airport. (Enugu state govt is handling the water) 

Another entrance for trucks bringing and taking cargo in and out of the airport is being worked on. And of course, critical equipment such as Instrument Landing Systems ( ILS), Air Field Lighting (AFL), approach lights, taxi lights, aerodrome markings and other facilities will be put in place.

The whole N10billion earmarked for the airport has since been released. Out of this, N3.2billion has been released to the foreign construction firm, PW (an Irish company) handling the runway. There was a little issue with some community in Ebonyi from where PW is getting some special stone but it's been resolved. 

During the last renovation work done at the airport under the previous govt, CCECC was contracted and paid some money to build a terminal building for the airport but no land was provided, forcing the project to stall. Now, a piece of land has been provided. And CCECC should be at the site as I type.

Both the Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, the Aviation minister, the Chairman of the airport monitoring team, PW management and FAAN Chairman insist the "before Easter" completion date given by the minister remains sacrosanct. But as of today, PW is not working day and night. They blamed late arrival of their night equipment for this but assured their day and night operation will start this week.

In summary, the renovation of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is currently going on. Almost everything there from the runway to the main building and the entire facility is being expanded. And the authorities have given assurances that they will not only deliver an Airport that will meet up with international standard but that they will also meet up with the "Before Easter" deadline. Official date given by the Aviation Minister is "before Easter". (Easter is usually celebrated in April And he said BEFORE Easter)

I've repeatedly tried to convince them to make the construction site accessible to the media so as to enhance transparency, but so far, I've not succeeded. They say it's against international safety procedure to allow uncontrolled access to any construction site but adviced those who want to visit to go through the Monitoring Committee for proper coordination.

If you have any questions, please ask me.
My special thanks to the Chairman of the monitoring committee, Engr. Chris Okoye, a perfect gentleman who has been quite resourceful in providing answers to all my queries as well as making my effort to personally go verify things for myself seamless.


Mr. Charles Ogbu's report was originally published by him via his verified Facebook page yesterday, January 19, 2020.