Ethiopian Airlines
On August 24, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu will receive
the first international flight to the Coal City. Ethiopian Airlines
issued a statement late last month indicating its readiness to be the
first international carrier to fly to the airport.
The euphoria which has greeted the announcement, especially among
Ndigbo and the nation in general, is understandable. It underscores the
strategic nature of the development to the nation’s and the South East’s
economy. The Deputy President of the Senate, who is also the highest
political office holder from the zone, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in
commending President Goodluck Jonathan over this, rightly described it
as a “major milestone in the infrastructural renewal of the South East
and a monumental boost for both trade and Direct Foreign Investment for
the entire country”.
According to him, “For many decades, the people of the South East, the
local and international business community have waited seemingly
endlessly for the commencement of international flight operations at the
Akanu Ibiam International Airport, and the people of South East will
remain ever grateful to President Jonathan for the breakthrough.”
What a new dawn. For decades, successive administrations had exploited
the subject of international flight operations in the South East, to the
extent of making it a recurrent object of political rhetoric. They
promised more and delivered nothing. It was not because this is not most
deserving and needful. Ndigbo are known as great business people. From
Onitsha to Nnewi and Aba, the South East speaks of robust economic and
technological prowess, but which great potentials are abandoned to rust
in gross disuse.
Unfortunately, for ages, I dare say a combination of political
irresponsibility, assorted parochial interests and considerations,
promise and fail syndrome, and if you like, willful sabotage and
conspiracy, had kept the operation of international flight in the South
East far from reality. This had led quite many to conclude, rightly or
wrongly, that there was an unwritten code to ensure that the enclave did
not have direct contact with the outside world, even donkey years after
the civil war.
Thus, if the people of the South East took the November 14, 2007
statement by the then Minister of Aviation, Diezani Allison-Madueke
announcing President Yar’Adua’s approval of the upgrade of the Akanu
Ibiam Airport to the status of international airport with a pinch of
salt, they were not to blame. And when the former Minister of Aviation,
Babatunde Omotoba was credited with a statement during the flag-off of
rehabilitation work at the Akanu Ibiam Airport on November 30, 2009, to
the effect that the Federal Government had not given international
status to the Airport, the cloud of doubt and forlornness thickened.
However, all that has become mere part of the South East’s long walk to hosting an international aviation facility.
As Nigerians, especially the people of South East wait breathlessly for
August 24, there are hallmarks in leadership by key players in pursuit
of this breakthrough that need to be highlighted.
First, we must note that the more we have Presidents who see the whole
country as their constituency through equitable development and
opportunities, the less likely Nigerians are to clamour for Presidents
of their own ethno-religious extraction. It must not be lost on us that
the late President Yar’Adua who took the initial practical steps towards
the realization of this dream was from Katsina State, while the
incumbent President who has boosted and guided the initiative to
fruition, though closer home, is from Bayelsa in the South South.
Yar’Adua not only pronounced Enugu an international airport, but also
awarded the first contract in the sum of about N4.1 billion towards the
project. Who knows what contrary pieces of advice and even hushed
protests both Presidents might have contended with? Much as leadership,
especially in a pluralistic society like ours should go round to give
each section a sense of belonging, it will always be more important to
have a fatherly “Nigerian President”.
The second lesson is the sense of policy and project continuity shown
by President Jonathan. Discontinuity syndrome is one of the major banes
of development in Nigeria. And it is driven mainly by politics of ego,
vendetta, and corruption. Laudable projects have been abandoned because
incumbents were no longer on good terms with their predecessors or the
projects were cited in “wrong places” or someone just wants to feather
his/her nest. The Projects Assessment Committee set up by President
Jonathan in 2010 to take census of all abandoned and ongoing Federal
Government projects across the country identified a whooping 11,886
projects. The states do not fare better either. This is calamitous.
In contrast, the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by
President Jonathan on October 19, 2010 reaffirmed the upgrade of Enugu
Airport to an international facility and awarded a reviewed contract of
about N6.1billion to bring the total cost to about N10.03 billion. Under
Jonathan, the Airport was finally gazetted as an international airport.
The gazette was important to lay to rest the initial fears caused by
Omotoba’s statement. Just last May, Mr. President commissioned the
remodeled Enugu Airport and laid the foundation for a new international
terminal.
As also rightly observed by Senator Ekweremadu, the project has gone on
smoothly under the tenures of Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke who was
Minister of Transport at the time discussion was opened with late
President Yar’Adua on this project, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze who sustained the
actual construction as Minister of Aviation, and the current Minister
of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah who has driven this vision with
tremendous commitment, passion, and vigour to the point of reality
today.
Importantly, the actualisation of the Enugu Airport dream is a
testimony in leadership, synergy, and legislative masterstroke on the
part of Senator Ekweremadu and the South East Caucus of the 6th National
Assembly, NASS, which opened the request with a letter to President
Yar’Adua signed by Senator Ekweremadu on behalf of the rest. Thus, the
Caucus, with the Deputy President of Senate in the driver’s seat, began
the legislative diplomatic rounds to the Villa to drive the dream.
The meetings were fruitful from the outset as President Yar’Adua was
said to be seriously touched over the absence of an international
airport in the South East that he, there and then, minuted approval on
the letter of request. It was on the strength of this that Mrs.
Allison-Madueke also issued a statement announcing the designation Akanu
Ibiam an international airport. The release of Chief Ralph Uwazuruike,
leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of
Biafra, MASSOB, was discussed at the meeting. Yar’Adua honoured this
request too.
Meanwhile, the commitment of the Chairman of the Committee on Aviation
in the 6th Senate, Senator Anyim Udeh and his House of Representatives
counterpart, Hon. Bethel Amadi as well as their successors, Senator Hope
Uzodinma and Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha have helped to push the dream in
no little measures. With the concerted lobby and efforts the South East
Caucus in both the 6th and 7th National Assembly, it has never been
difficult for their fellow federal lawmakers to see the economic
reasons, the equity and justice in ensuring adequate budgetary
provisions for the project from the days of late President Yar’Adua till
date.
Worthy of special commendation are the uncommon wisdom, unity of
purpose, and sense of sacrifice shown by the Enugu State Caucus in the
6th NASS. With eyes fixated on the bigger picture, the Caucus, at a
point, channeled the entire funds for Constituency Projects that would
have accrued to Enugu Federal Constituencies and Senatorial Districts in
one fiscal year to the project. This, they told President Yar’Adua, was
to shore up budgetary provisions for the upgrading project. Which
President would not be moved by such show of commitment? The
masterstroke worked like magic as the Federal Executive Council under
President Yar’Adua subsequently broke the jinx by awarding a contract in
the sum of N4.1 billion to upgrade the Akanu Ibiam Airport.
In all, the deftness displayed by the South East federal lawmakers led
by Senator Ekweremadu, the great support shown by the South East
Governors (especially Governor Peter Obi both in his official capacity
as Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum and his personal capacity
too), political stakeholders, and indeed numerous others towards the
actualization of the vision shows how much a people can achieve if they
work together in articulating and pursuing common, legitimate agenda.
There is also a big lesson in smooth executive/legislature relations as
well as intra-executive and intra-legislature synergy.
Indeed, it is an uncommon breath of fresh air as Enugu and the South
East is opened up to the outside world. Peaceful repose Yar’Adua; long
live Jonathan; well done Stella-Oduah et al; and kudos Ekweremadu (the
silent achiever), and the entire South East compatriots in the 6th and
7th NASS.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/as-akanu-ibiam-airport-enugu-welcomes-international-flights/156006/
Mr. Anichukwu is Special Adviser (Media) to Deputy President of the Senate
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I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not
disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread
with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a
life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life;
this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and
awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.
If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected
while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act
so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long
experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.
Grande organizzazione tra le fila della Scuola Basket Donato Avenia dopo la breve pausa estiva. Nel riprendere gli allenamenti il 28 Agosto, patron Ruggiero conferma l' acquisto a titolo definitivo
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