During my campaign for election as President in 2011, one of the
promises I made to Nigerians was to bring about transformation of the
national economy.
This promise is being delivered in the South
East Geo-political Zone through, amongst other key interventions; the
transformational work going on not only here at Akanu Ibiam
International Airport in Enugu, but also at the Sam Mbakwe International
Cargo Airport, Owerri”, President Jonathan declared on Saturday, May
18, 2013 during the Foundation Laying/Commissioning Ceremony of the
remodeled Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
Indeed,
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda is getting
full expression in the Aviation sector not only in the renewal of
airport infrastructure, especially Terminal rehabilitation and upgrade,
but also very poignantly for the people of the South East, as the first
international flight operated by Ethiopian Airlines lands at the Akanu
Ibiam International Airport, Enugu today, August 24, 2013.
For
the people of the land-locked region and it’s environs stretching to the
South South and parts of the Middle Belt, it has been a long dream come
true; almost like a Long Walk To Freedom. Although the Enugu airport
had in fact borne the name ‘International’ since it was officially so
designated on December 17, 2010 by then Acting President Jonathan, all
hope of actually playing host to international flights had remained
forlorn for the people of the region-until today, that is!
When
the President rolled out his Transformation Agenda with promises of a
new dawn, a lot of hopes were expectedly raised. Now those hopes have
crystalized into reality for people from the South East zone who were
assured that the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, would truly
answer its name in the lifetime of the Jonathan Presidency. This is
concrete proof that this President keeps promises once they are made.
This
historic international flight, perhaps the first since after the Civil
War, is both symbolic and revolutionary. It symbolizes the end of an era
where an entire region was almost shut out from the rest of the world,
literally speaking, to one where the same enclave is now open to a new
and exciting world of endless possibilities.
According to
President Jonathan, “the South East Region of Nigeria, with this
international airport, can confidently say to the world ‘we are open
for business’! The region and it’s environs is indeed open for business.
This inaugural flight is equally revolutionary as this singular
development will certainly change the way of life of the inhabitants of
the region, forever.
Before now, anyone residing in the zone and
hoping to embark on international trip to other African, Asian, European
and American countries had to suffer the agony of traveling to either
Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja or Kano not out of choice but compulsion, to
catch a flight. President Jonathan lamented this much at the same
occasion when he stated thus:
”There was a very good reason for
the decision to confer international status on this airport. As I am
sure you all know, Enugu is the gateway to the South East Region, the
home of entrepreneurship in Nigeria. With such a large number of
enterprising people with a huge propensity to travel both within and
outside the country pursuing various business interests, people of this
region have always had to travel first, either to Lagos, Port Harcourt,
Abuja or Kano in order to be able to travel out of the country on
business trips.
” As business people, speed and time are of the
essence. Thus the ability to travel directly to your destination abroad
or as directly from your base as possible, increases the speed of your
transactions by reducing the time you spend traveling to and from there.
The same applies to goods procured abroad and air-freighted into the
country for business purposes. The more directly imported goods can be
air-freighted to the region for its businessmen and women, the faster
their goods and products can get to the market”.
The President
could not have said it more succinctly. Interestingly, all this
lamentation and agony is over. Ethiopian airlines, taking full advantage
of world-class infrastructure at the airport, has banished all that
agony and misery to the trash can of history as a whole new experience
unfolds.
For a people known for their industry and enterprise,
the opportunities which this international airport offer for the
socio-economic development of the region are huge and boundless. With a
large population of international businessmen and entrepreneurs, the
zone could not have asked for anything better.
Gone are the days
when businessmen from the zone would endlessly agonize how; having
cargoed or ferried their goods from far-flung parts of the globe to
either Lagos or Abuja, would face the fresh Herculean task of clearing
and moving them, mostly by road to the South East.
Additional
expense had been incurred, goods and lives even lost in this highly
perilous journey from Lagos and Abuja to the east. With Ethiopian
airlines now offering direct international flights from Enugu to almost
any destination in the globe, the world is truly in the pocket of the
South East. A new dawn is here. The world has in fact come to the east!
That
is not all, neither is it even scratching the surface. The multiplier
effect of the value chain that would be created as businesses spring up
in and around the airport and the city of Enugu beats every imagination.
The commercial offerings would not only boost the economy of the zone
but also create thousands of jobs. The hospitality industry in the area
is sure to witness a resurgence and boom.
Commerce, which is the
major preoccupation of the peoples of this zone would begin to boom as
the Onitsha and Ariaria International market, Aba begin to play host
not only to the local folks, but also to a wider international business
community. This is also not talking about the huge opportunity for easy
export of manufactured and agricultural goods.
The local
manufacturer in the remotest part of Aba and Nnewi and the rural farmer
in Arochukwu would be exposed to the international markets as flights
take off and land in Enugu from all corners of the globe. The
possibilities are indeed endless, with the airport amongst the 13 also
designated as perishable cargo airports in the country.
The vision of
Mr President could not have seen the light of day without the drive and
boundless energy of the Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah.
Under
her watch, the entire aviation sector in Nigeria has been transformed
from the once neglected, rustic and decrepit landscape to sprawling,
edifying and dignifying architectural show-pieces that compare
favourably with airport terminals anywhere in the world. But as Oduah
has consistently maintained, what we are witnessing today in Enugu is
just the beginning; more and more landmarks are underway. From what we
have seen so far, we have no reason to doubt her.
For Ethiopian
airlines that placed the bet on Akanu Ibiam International airport,
Enugu, we can only wish it to fly higher. Surely, it won’t be long
before other international airlines followed the Ethiopian example. For
now, we cannot but agree with Mr President that the South East region is
indeed “Open to the world for Business”.
Joe Obi, SA
(Media) to the Hon. Minister of Aviation
Thanks to PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN, Thanks to FRESH AIR
God
bless GEJ!
God bless Eastern Nigeria!!
God bless Nigeria!!
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