‘EMPTY BARRELS’ – OTTI DISMISSES UZOR KALU, ORJI, IKPEAZU OPPOSITION GANG-UP. (PHOTO)
‘Empty barrels’ – Otti dismisses Uzor Kalu, Orji, Ikpeazu opposition gang-up Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has urged Abians to disregard recent remarks by some leaders of the opposition in the state. Governor Otti who was speaking on Saturday at Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Umuoriehi, Umuahia North LGA, during the dedication of the church building, said that those who are gathering against him were the same people that failed to develop the state in the past. Otti was reacting to an alliance formed against his re-election by former Abia governors Orji Uzor Kalu, Theodore Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu. The governor slammed the opposition members for pursuing personal interest above the collective development of Abia, declaring that every gathering they are making against him would collapse. He said, “Pastor Uguru made reference to the noise that you may have been hearing in the last few days. “I want us to just dismiss it as noise, you know, and it’s always the empty barrel that makes...
According to my sources,the Minister of State for Aviation,Hadi Sirika,says the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,Abuja,will be closed for six weeks in February and March next year for total repairs on the runway.He further told journalists in Abuja yesterday monday that the closure will allow Julius Berger carry out total re-construction on the badly damaged airport runway.He said while the runway would still be put to use under the six months of rehabilitation,the six weeks would allow the mid-section of the runway to be reconstructed.According to him,President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reconstruction through the emergency procurement procedure for work to commence.This,according to him,is because of the centrality,economy and the importance of Abuja to the general administration of the country.He said government could not afford to close down Abuja airport for a long time as palliative repairs had been ongoing on the runway in the last three months.''From start to finish of the runway,it will take six months.However,we will be using the runway almost throughout the period except for about six weeks when the runway will be closed.That is when we are going to do the mid-section of the runway.The government has accepted the design done by the contractor.The runway will last for more than 10 years on completion early next year''.he said.Mr Sirika said Abuja bound passengers from any part of the world will use Kaduna airport as alternative during the six weeks closure to passengers.He said arrangement had been finalised with Kaduna State,adding that while the federal government will provide buses to convey the passengers to Abuja,the state government will provide security.According to him,it will cost government substantial amount of money ''but we think that palliative approach is wrong because three years down we will come back to the same repairs.Therefore,we decided to go for the bigger option which is to do structural repairs if the runway which will take about six months to complete,'' he said.On the Bilateral Air Agreement with other countries,Mr. Sirika said the government had signed BASA with 18 countries that Nigerians frequently visit and do business with.The MOUs,he said,would give Nigeria the opportunity to operate air services with 18 countries.''With this,we have the freedom to fly and land safely in other air space and this will assist in opening our market''.
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