The Commissioner for Special Duties in the Akwa Ibom State,
Emmanuel Enoidem has given an insight into why the Maintenance Repair and
Overhaul (MRO) project at Ibom Airport is yet to be completed.
According to the Commissioner who appeared before the Akwa
Ibom State House of Assembly committee on Appropriation and Finance to defend
the budgetary provision for the ministry in 2014 explains that at present the
state government is sourcing for experts who will run the MRO when completed.
Enoidem, a lawyer, informed the Committee that the MRO was
at 82 percent completion saying the project will be completed by the second
quarters of 2014 while the state government is looking in the direction of
Spain and Germany for specialists for the MRO unit.
The Ministry of Special Duties supervises key projects of
the Godswill Akpabio’s administration like the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment
Gallary, the International Stadium, the 20th anniversary Specialist
Hospital and another hotel in Ikot Ekpene Local Government.
On the Olympic Size Stadium, the Commissioner said the
project is born out of rare courage by the state government as it boast of
facilities that are world class not found in any stadium in Nigeria.
On the generation of revenue for the Government from Ibom
Airport, Barr Enoidem said plans are underway to create more routes for Ibom
Airport, saying the number of landing will generate more money for the
government but noted that this cannot be done in a day” On the floating of Ibom
Airline as proposed by the state government in 2013, the Commissioner said the
vision is still alive noting that it is capital intensive which explains why
the government is looking for private hands.
In his responds, the Chairman of the House Committee on
Appropriation and Finance, Hon (Barr) Onofiok Luke commended the Commissioner
for the wonderful works he was noted for while in the Housing and Urban Renewal
Ministry expressing the hope that such feat will be repeated in the remaining
years of the administration even as he mans another strategic ministry.
The Chairman however informed the Commissioner of the
readiness of the committee to visit some of the projects under the supervision
of the ministry.
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