***Umahi says he built Airport with over N36b
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state has disclosed that he expended over thirty-six billion naira to built the state international airport at Onueke, Ezza South Local government Area of the state.
Umahi made the disclosure while addressing stakeholders of the state and a delegation of the Federal Ministry of Aviation during flight test run that took place at the airport.
The international airport named after President Muhammadu Buhari, is to be inaugurated in the first week of May, 2023 by the President.
During the test run, two Air Peace Hopper airlines, No. 5N-BXF and No. 5-BUY landed at the airport with over one hundred passengers on board from Lagos and Abuja.
Umahi however said his he is ready to hand over the airport to the federal government to run, noting that the state government can’t manage the airport.
He further indicated that over 400 citizens of Ebonyi State were employed as staff of the airport.
Earlier in his remark, the director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria CAAN, who was represented by General Manager, Aerodrome Services, Mr Oladipo Adebayo, described the airport as the best of all the airports in Nigeria.
He applauded the Ebonyi State Government for using high-standard equipment to construct the airport, adding that with such quality materials used, the airport will stand the test of time.