The first and second civilian Governors of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi and Senator Sam Egwu, have expressed dissatisfaction over the renaming of Ebonyi Airport from Muhammadu Buhari to Chuba Okadigbo Airport.
According to them, Okadigbo never contributed to solving the problems of the Ebonyi people.
Chief Elechi stated this during the epoch-making occasion of the celebration of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary and the 27th Anniversary of the Creation of the State.
According to Elechi, who spoke on behalf of the founding fathers, Buhari assisted them during the problems and provided security during the struggle for the creation of the state.
He, however, called on the federal government to rename the airport after the late Senator Offia Nwali, the first black man to obtain a PhD in Computer and Analytical Studies from the United States of America.
“Ebonyi people are not happy to hear our new airport being called Chuba Okadigbo Airport. Chuba Okadigbo is a great Nigerian, but he is not known in Ebonyi State, and neither will Ebonyi people say this is what he did for them.
“When I was Secretary of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Okadigbo was vying for the Senate. We were friendly. All I remember is that he used to visit me at 5 Igboeze Street, Enugu, and we would sit over a bottle of brandy until the bottle was empty.
“We didn’t talk about Ebonyi people, their problems, or their solutions. Understandably, General Muhammadu Buhari knew our problems.
When he was the Brigade Major in Abakaliki, he gave us the pass that enabled us to go to Ogoja to plead our case. He assisted us to an extent with security personnel over what we were doing to create Ebonyi State.
“We love him, and it was proper to name the airport after him. But since he didn’t accept it, we think the airport should be named after someone else.
“That airport is less than 10 km to the primary school where Offia Nwali made his marks as a student; that airport is less than 10 km to the road and the house of Dr Offia Nwali.
We think it will be more appropriate to name the airport after him, and that is the request I am making on behalf of the founding fathers and the people of the Ebonyi central zone,” he said.
On his part, Dr Sam Egwu, who condemned the renaming of Abakaliki Street in Anambra State, urged Governor Nwifuru to rename Awka Street in Abakaliki.
Meanwhile, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, the Member Representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, assured the Ex-Governors and founding fathers of sponsoring a bill with the support of the National Assembly to ensure that the airport is named after the late Senator Offia Nwali.
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