By CHARLES IWUOHA

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commissioned the upgraded runway of the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The event was the grande finale of Ebonyi 2024 Women?s Day Celebration.

The Nigerian Air Force plane marked 5N-FGV carrying the First Lady landed at about 3:18pm today, Wednesday, November 15, 2024. She was received by the Governor, Francis Nwifuru, as well as by Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shetima, and Wife of the Governor, Mrs Mary Maudline Nwifuru.

Also, on hand to receive Senator Tinubu are 23 Spouses of Governors under the Nigeria Governors Spouses Forum led by Ambassador Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, first Lady of Kwara State who is the Chairperson of the Forum.

The First Lady on arrival commissioned the upgraded runway of the airport undertaken by the Nwifuru administration.

She also took out time to dance with a women?s cultural troupe and residents of the state that trouped to the airport to receive her.

Senator Tinubu is in the state to take part in the grand finale of the Ebonyi women?s day, an annual event that celebrates the women of the state.

Commissioner for Aviation, Dr Ngozi Obichukwu, said the airport will commence commercial flight operations next month.

She noted that all the challenges and obstacles that would have prevented the commercial flight takeoff have been swiftly handled by the Governor Nwifuru administration.

Governor Nwifuru thanked President Bola Tinubu for the assistance he gave the state which enabled the state to upgrade the runway.

He said: "We came In, on 29th day of May, 2023, and as of then, we used concrete to build this runway. We didn?t know, as a state, that concrete is not accepted to be used to build runway.

?And when we came in, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority closed the airport, that this place is not a place that a plane can land, and we decided to start rebuilding the runway?,

?Based on the support and the help of your husband, by the special grace of God, we did the runway and completed it to be one of the best runways in this country, Nigeria?.

Commissioning the runway, the First Lady commended the Governor for what she described as a magnificent airport.

He also commended the Governor for being gender friendly in his appointments.

She said: ?I think your testimonials have really gone ahead of you, and I am really glad to be in Ebonyi State.

?I am really glad we came, and I see how beautiful Nigeria is. You know we don?t promote ourselves. What I saw today, I was even saying that we went to Burundi, and I thought they did well. For a state in Nigeria, your runway was better than what I was even commending them for.

?So, we want to thank God for the good work you have been doing. It gladdens my heart when we see people that are young, that they have their hands on their work and they are doing great jobs, they have to be commended?, she said.

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