By Helen JACKSON
Assignment Editor
UYO
The Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD, has laid the foundation for the Aviation Village, a residential quarters for airport workers.
Performing the ground- breaking ceremony of the project located within the Victor Attah International Airport, the Governor said that the Aviation Village is aimed at driving home his passion towards expanding the aviation ecosystem and making Akwa Ibom stand out as the aviation hub in the Gulf of Guinea.
He said, “The Aviation village of which ground breaking ceremony we have gathered here to perform is a project that speaks to our passionate dedication to the expansion of the aviation ecosystem.
“It is going to provide residential quarters for workers in the first phase which will help further drive our vision to becoming the Nation’s major aviation hub.
“The second phase will have the aviation school and other facilities, but let’s provide these accomodations for the workers close to their offices. From our findings, twelve parastatals would benefit and this will have direct impact on the operations of the airport.”
Governor Eno added that the project which will be completed in twelve months will be given to different contractors to speed up the construction beginning with the perimeter fence and gate house.
He spoke of the landmark achievements recorded in the sector, noting that he has purchased four additional aircraft into the IbomAir fleet in addition to other development within the airport.
The state Chief Executive noted that 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 these projects.
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, explaining that the aim is to prepare for the running of the Ibom Specialist hospital with foreign technical partners as originally-conceptualized.
In his words “There are some more flag offs that we will do. I am looking forward to flagging off the elderly people’s home. I am looking forward to flagging off the new medical village, and we will build the Doctors quarters there too.
What we are trying to do is to upgrade the Ibom Specialist Hospital and make it what it was conceived to be, proper first-rate hospital.
“We are partnering with international organisations and we are employing the doctors that will run the facility, and we are providing accomodations for those doctors. We will run those facility in the model of the Ibom Air, a government facility, but managed as a private concern.
On the recent change of the leadership in Ibom Power Company, he explained that the move is intended to put the company on sound footing and used the occasion to urge other heads of government departments and parastatals to embrace probity and be profit- mimded.
Governor Eno reiterated his administration’s commitment to paying the thirteenth month salary and the new minimum wage pegged at eighty thousand naira 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.
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 worker- friendly disposition.
The Commissioner for Housing, Otuekong Raphael Bassey, in his review of the project indicated that the Aviation Village project sits on 15.072 hectares of land and would have a total of 62 number of two bedroom flats, 55 number of three bedroom flats, a primary school and other facilities.
Chairman, Ibom Airport Development Company Limited, Dr Iniobong Essien, while analysing the importance of the project, noted that the Aviation Village would not only upgrade the standard of the airport in the aviation industry but would better position the Victor Attah International Airport for the anticipated international operations.
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 in their goodwill messages acknowledged that the project will solve the accommodation challenge of the airport staff, ensure closer proximity of staff to the airport and enhance a more efficient service delivery.
Similarly, chairmen of the host Local Government Areas, of Uruan, Nsit Atai and Okobo appreciated the Governor for his project, and assured that the host communities will give the necessary cooperation to ensure timely completion of the project.
Highpoint of the occasion was the ground-breaking ceremony which was performed by the Governor flanked by his Deputy Her Excellency, Dr Akon Eyakenyi, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon, Udeme Otong, Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, Traditional rulers and some top government officials.
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