The government said it would embark on the airline business after the completion of ongoing asphalting of the runway at Chuba Okadigbo International Airport, Abakiliki.

Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, Dr. Ngozi Obichukwu, who disclosed this to journalists in her office at Onueke, shortly after an inspection tour of the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport, said by August, the airport would be fully functional.

She commended Governor Francis Nwifuru; immediate past governor, David Umahi; engineers on site and monitoring heads of departments involved in the project for their cooperation and efforts to see that the airport fully took off.

She said: “If you do not blow your trumpet, another person will blow it wrongly. We are here as a team to tell you what our dear governor is doing on the runway of the Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo Airport.

“Many have been asking questions, are we good to go? Are we able to deliver the road by May as we promised? With your eyes and your senses, you people have seen what we have done and the extent we have gone.

“Before the asphalting, we have started witnessing the coming in of flights and you know as I have said before, it is both human and cargo airport. We are good to go in terms of exporting our food. Ebonyi State is good with production. We can export our rice, we can export our garri and even our salt. We will package it in a way that is acceptable and packaged it out.

“We are at the centre of attraction as South East is concerned. Those of them that are coming from Abia, Enugu, Anambra, and even part of Cross River will be landing here. Those of them that are travelling from outside will be landing here. It will not only be a beehive of activities, but an economic hub of the South East because many people will benefit from here.” (Vanguard)