By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi, has disclosed that the ongoing International Airport in Onueke, Ebonyi State, will commence operation by 2022.

The Governor disclosed this while inspecting the project on Tuesday, July 4.

He said: “This is 2020. We are looking at 2022 unfailingly to complete this Airport Project. But most of the important projects we are passionate about completing are these Airport, the College of Medicine, dualisation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road, Abakaliki to Enugu and the stadium, these are the major projects we have.

“The Bible says when men say there’s a casting down, we will say there’s a lifting up. Abraham followed God when He asked him to follow him to show him a land, he believed God.

“When God sends you on a mission and you have a passion, He gives you a vision which you pursue with passion. Everything is possible to those who believe. You have to have the passion then, God will make a way for you.

“This is the terminal building for the airport; it is like two and a half size of the Shopping Mall. You can trace the Mall; this is like two and a half size of the Mall. It is going to be the biggest terminal building in the country.

“We have done almost 90 percent of the pilling and the vocal, and that’s the real work and it is where that will take more money, what’s in the ground is more than what is coming up.

“The tarmac is hundred metres in width; it’s like ten-lane by four kilometres. Tarmac is a different thing because there’s impact load, there’s traction load and also there’s dynamic load, there is a special design, but the earthwork is very challenging.

“We are going through valleys and hills and we are on it. You can see the airport road, it's about 4 kilometres. The airport flyover is being set out for construction.”