Several months after a rain storm destroyed part of the terminal building at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, the eastern gateway seems to have been abandoned to the chagrin of South easterners. The airport being the only international airport in the eastern part of Nigeria is an eye sore to travellers as the collapsed portion is still unattended to despite the fact that officials of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, led by its Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma, visited the site barely few hours after the storm late last year. Assurances that a contractor would be mobilized to the site for repairs is turning to a pipe dream.
As at few days ago when Drumnewsonline.com visited the airport, the collapsed portion of the terminal building was still yawning for attention as well as another newly constructed structure said to belong to the Nigerian Air Force, which was badly damaged.
Reliable sources at the airport disclosed that the Management of the airport had been making efforts to attract the attention of the office of the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika to the deplorable condition of the airport building but to no avail. This, some have started interpreting the inaction to the apathy of the federal government towards issues concerning South East.
What has been of immense concern to the airport users is the ease with which that portion of the airport building gave way considering that it was commissioned barely a couple of years ago. The incident according to watchers put a question mark on the quality of work done by the contractors and certified by the ministry officials. Apart from the building, the run way is already in deplorable condition riddled with pot holes which made some local airlines to stop flying to Enugu for fear of damages to their aircrafts. While the drainage system at the airport leaves much to be desired as the airside is always flooded whenever it rained. Many passengers had some ugly tales last rainy season when ankle level flood waters held them from either boarding or disembarking from a flight.
Efforts to reach the Airport Manager, Mr Mgbemena , was not fruitful as he was said to have stepped out of his office when Drumnewsonline.com called. However, another FAAN staff that was approached for an insight into the problems of the newly commissioned international airport declined to comment. Will respite come the way of the airport through the needed urgent repairs? Only time shall tell.