By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom governor has laid the foundation for the construction of an Aviation Village, a residential quarter within the Victor Attah International Airport for airport workers in the State.
Pastor Umo Eno, who performed the ground-breaking of the project, Monday, said the project which is in fulfilment of his campaign promises of expanding the state’s aviation ecosystem, said the Aviation Village is aimed at making Akwa Ibom stand out as the aviation hub in the Gulf of Guinea.
Eno made known that the Aviation Village which is the first phase of the airport expansion, will provideaccommodation for workers close to their offices, while the second phase will have the aviation school and other facilities.
He noted that the project, which will be completed in 12 months, will have direct impact on the operations of the airport, as 12 parastatals would benefit from the gesture.
To fast-track speedy delivery, Eno said construction work will commence with the perimeter fence and gate house to be given to different contractors to handle.
He announced plans to lay the foundation for an Elderly People’s Home and a new Medical Village for doctors serving at the Ibom Specialist hospital, saying, “What we are trying to do is to upgrade the Ibom Specialist Hospital and make it a proper first-rate hospital which it was conceived to be.”
According to him, government will partner international organisations and employ the doctors that will run the facility, while also providing accommodation for those doctors, stressing that the hospital will run in the model of the Ibom Air, which is a government facility managed as a private concern.
The governor said he envisages the state as a huge construction site in 2025 as the budget has earmarked quantum of projects for execution and enlisted the commitment of the contractors in the execution of the projects.
He appreciated the airport staff for their support and dedication to duty, assuring that contrary to agitations, his government will pay all their emoluments to underscore his workers-friendly disposition.
Eno restated his administration’s commitment to paying the 13-month salary and the new minimum wage pegged at N80,000, but warned that payment of the new wage will only commence after a thorough verification exercise is carried out to ascertain the actual staff on the government’s payroll.
Reviewing the Aviation Village project, the commissioner for housing, Otuekong Raphael Bassey, said the project sits on 15.072 hectares of land and would have 62 two-bedroom flats, 55 three-bedroom flats, a primary school and other facilities.
The chairman, Ibom Airport Development Company Limited, Dr Iniobong Essien, while analysing the importance of the project, noted that aside upgrading the standard of the Victor Attah International Airport in the aviation industry, the Aviation Village will better position the airport for the anticipated international operations.
In their separate goodwill messages, the chief executive officer of Ibom Air, Captain Mfon Udom, representative of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Comrade Ukeme Utuk and other stakeholders, said the project will solve the accommodation challenge of the airport staff, ensure proximity of staff residents to the airport and enhance a more efficient service delivery.
Also in their separate reactions, the chairmen of Uruan, Nsit Atai and Okobo – the host local government areas – appreciated the governor for the project, and assured that the host communities will give the necessary cooperation to ensure timely completion of the Aviation Village project.
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