By Prince Atibile Williams
The Cross River State Commissioner for Aviation, Dr. Jake Otu Enyia on Friday in Calabar
said ongoing second phase bidding for the Obudu Passengers and Cargo International Airport was targeted at sound finishing of the project in record time and cost with a view to be commissioned in 2022, as well as broadening frontiers of state economy.
Speaking during bid opening for completion of the airport,
Dr Enyia outlined the targeted areas to include furnishing of the entire airport, provision of water facility in the airport for users, provision of perimeter fence, and access road.
Others are, provision of solar plants at the airport, provision of aviation fuel dump, runway swipers and every other thing hitherto not considered in the first procurement.
He further said a successful completion of the exercise will put state in a better pedestal to run her planned international airport in Obudu, adding that choice of the airport location was informed by it proximity to the British-Canadian university, the international reference hospital and famous Obudu Mountain Resort, all located within the hemisphere of Northern Cross River state.
The Commissioner also said another salient advantage of the airport when completed is it International and Cargo status with the potentials of feeding countries and states not limited to Benue, Ebonyi, Taraba, Ghana, US, UK, and UAE with a ripple effect on state economy.
Dr. Otu Enyia lauded Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade’s ingenuity in transforming state from mere civil service into an Eldorado of investment with a fledgling Aviation Ministry in spite of very limited resources at his disposal.
On her part, Mrs. Esther Ushie, Assistant Director, procurement and representative of Due Process and Price Intelligence described the bidding process as transparent, credible and in accordance with extant laws of Nigeria.
Also speaking, Mr. Otu Chukwuemeka of Portent Contractors, one of the companies bidding for the project enthusiastically eulogized Cross River state for being a model in the bidding community using just concluded exercise termed transparent, credible and devoid of undue influence as yardstick.
It is hoped that with near completion of the bidding exercise, aggressive delivering to specifications will be watchword for parties involved.
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