Date Published: 07/25/11

Ibom MRO will reduce Capital Flight: Akpabio

Akwa Ibom state Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio showing details of state projects in a compendium to the Minister of Aviation,Mrs Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi during her tour of Ibom International Airport, weekend

Akwa Ibom State Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio  has appealed to the Federal Government to declare the Ibom International Airport with Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Facilities as Nigeria’s first National Hanger.

Chief Akpabio stated this in Uyo when he received the Minister of Aviation Mrs. Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi and the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Dr. Harold Demoren who were on tour of the Airport facilities in the state.

“The Federal Government may want to take over the running of the Ibom International Airport and the state government is looking forward to signing the Memorandum of Understanding. With the MRO facilities which we are building, the Federal government should jump at the chance of declaring the Hanger as the first Nigeria Hanger to stop capital flight”, Chief Akpabio said.

He explained further that the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the Airport when completed “can be used as Centre for Research and Rescue in the case of any eventuality and will be for the benefit of all Nigerians”.

Chief Akpabio said the state Government has maintained global standard in the quality of facilities provided at the Ibom International Airport and wished that other states investing in the Aviation sector would maintain Akwa Ibom standard.

Akwa Ibom state Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio with the Minister of Aviation,Mrs Stella Odua Ogiemwonyi displaying the plague presented to her by the Governor during her tour of Ibom International Airport, Friday

He appealed to the Minister to absorb Akwa Ibom indigene who had just completed their training programme on Avionics in Canada sponsored by the state Governor to work in other Airports in Nigeria.

Earlier, the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi lauded Akwa Ibom state Government for investing heavily in the aviation sector, particularly the quality of facilities provided at the airport.

She said they were on tour of all the airports in the country for proper inventory of the Aviation sector. “President Goodluck Jonathan’s vision for the country is for transformation and Governor Akpabio is transformation personified so we need more collaboration to transform the aviation sector. We want to ensure global standard and we must prioritize customer safety,” the Minister said.

Mrs Ogiemwonyi emphasized that the target of her ministry was to ensure that 75% of state in Nigeria have transportation and where there are no airport at least there should be an Airstrip to land a small plane.