The Ekiti State Airport has received its first Aircraft today amidst jubilations.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Appeal Court Acquits Nnamdi Kanu
The aircraft with registration number NAF 930 which was flown by flight lieutenant E.A Balogun landed at the airport’s runway at exactly 10:20 a.m amid cheers and excitement by eminent guests, government officials, and members of the public who came to witness the historic occasion.
Ekiti joins the elite club of states in Nigeria with a functional airport, which is expected to boost the export of agricultural produce, service educational and health institutions, and abundant tourism potentials in the state.
Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, who performed the inauguration of the airport, was among the personalities on board the aircraft which flew from Abuja to make the historic landing.
Outgoing Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, expressed satisfaction that the project was finally complete ten years after its conception during his first administration in 2012.
“My job is done, Ekiti Kete,” he said.
READ ALSO: EFCC re-arraigns Father And Son For Alleged N5.6bn Fraud In Lagos
Dr. Fayemi also used the occasion to assure the people of the state that the federal roads in dilapidated condition would be given attention to bring relief to their users and complement the newly inaugurated airport project.
In his welcome address, Mr. Zhang Zichen, the Chairman of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which handled the project, explained that the airport is not just a project but “the engine of the economy of the state” said it would open up Ekiti to more development and investment to the benefit of the state and business community.
Personalities who were present included the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo; the wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye; Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr. Eniola Ajayi; Representatives of Ekiti in Diaspora, traditional rulers, state lawmakers and officials from the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
(C)ControlTV2022.
