Ebonyi State Government, on Tuesday, said it has approved over thirteen billion naria for the immediate rehabilitation of the Chuba Okadigbo’s International Airport runway, Onueke Ezza South LGA.
Recall that, the rehabilitation of the Chuba Okadigbo’s airport runway, has taken place barely three months that it was constructed and commissioned by the former governor, David Umahi.
The commissioner of Aviation and Transport Technology, Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu made this known while speaking to newsmen at the Chuba Okadigbo’s airport, Onueke Ezza South LGA, shortly after the official handover of the runway site to the contractor.
Obichukwu said that the runway rehabilitation, which was awarded to Infrastructure development company, IDC, will take the maximum period of eight months for its completion.
She vowed to ensure that there is adequate provision of security and protection of lives and properties of the contractors and their team.
She said: “The runway rehabilitation is awarded to IDC construction company and the contractor is here on ground to ensure that the runway is perfectly put in the right place. You can see, that since last two months ago, we have not been having flight landing here because the runway wasn’t in the right proper shape.
“The contractor has fulfilled the procurement requirements that we gave them, at the bidding opening, assessment and evaluation. The IDC construction company has today met our requirements on the runway design. They will start work next week and the job is expected to be completed in the six to eight months so that the full flight operations will start.”
She said that the state government led by Governor Nwifuru has mobilised the contractor by fifty percent, to enable him (contractor) commence work immediately at the runway site, and further tasked him to make sure that the project is completed at the specified time.
Responding, the Area Manager of IDC construction company, Engr. Youssef Zghib said that the concrete used in the Chuba Okadigbo’s airport runway will be scraped halfway to enable the asphalting to blend together.
“The only reason why the flight could not land here is because of the rigidity of the concrete and once the 150mm of combined asphalt is laid, there will be no other excuse for an airline not to land here” he stated.
Also, the Special Assistants, SA, to the governor on Airport security, Nnanna Nwangele and Enyi Franklin, said that adequate security was deployed to the airport, to ensure that the lives and properties of the contractor, and workers are protected.
