Jacob Ogodo Abakaliki
The wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Friday inaugurated the upgraded 3.1 kilometer runway of Chuba Okadigbo International Airport in Abakaliki.
Mrs Tinubu inaugurated the project alongside the Wife of the Vice-President, Hajia Nana Shettima which was part of the activities marking the grand finale of Ebonyi Women’s Day celebration.
She said, , I am glad to be in Ebonyi state for the first time, I therefore commission the runway to the glory of God and mankind,” she said.
Tinubu commended the state Governor, Francis Nwifuru and his Wife, Mrs Uzoamaka Nwifuru for the developmental works ongoing in the state and for impacting his people.
“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
In his remarks, 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 the 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 runways.
“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.”
Mrs Ngozi Obichukwu, the state Commissioner for Aviation and Transport also commended the first lady for taking out time to come for the airport runway commissioning. and announced that 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
In the same vein, Senator Tinubu, has urged market women across the country to desist from undue increase in prices of food items as the yuletide draws nearer.
She donated the sum of N50 million, 20,000 wrappers, shoes and bags to support business of women in the state, adding that the support was part of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Social Investment Programme
“With the Yuletide season fast approaching, I want to plead with all our market women to refrain from unfair hike in prices of food items during the festive season,” she pleaded
The first lady also interacted with traditional rulers from the state at the Presidential Lodge, Abakaliki where she commended the royal fathers for the peaceful coexistence in Ebonyi.
She advised them to keep praying and supporting the Tinubu’s government, while believing in the country.
“Nigeria has everything it takes for us to be a great nation. We have to continue to bless this land and I appeal to you, our traditional rulers, to lead in that regard.”
