By Ovat Abeng
The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has joked about the incident involving an unnamed private jet that landed on concrete road pavement under construction by the Federal Ministry of Works at Ogwashi Ukwu in Delta State in error.
Senator Umahi while leading a team from ECOWAS Bank For Investment and Development on inspection tour at Abakaliki -Afikpo Trans Sahara Highway under construction, called on the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo to pay landing, parking and takeoff costs to the Ministry of Works for the emergency landing on the federal road.
While joking over the incident, Umahi said he did not blame the pilot for mistaking the concrete road for a runway, adding “I was watching Arise TV this morning and I saw where they were talking about the plane that landed on the road we are constructing at Ogwashi Ukwu in Delta State.
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“I don’t blame them nor the pilot for mistaking our concrete roads for runways but, I want to tell my brother, the Honourable Minister of Aviation to pay us landing, parking and takeoff costs for using our road as runway.
“It’s not our fault neither that of President Bola Tinubu that we are building roads that are far stronger than some runways, but we want to tell them that they should not land on our roads again because if they land again, they will pay us landing and take off costs.”
Speaking on the pace and quality of work on the dualization of Abakaliki -Afikpo-Ndibe Beach Trans Sahara Highway, Umahi said the project is one of the legacy projects of President Tinubu’s administration to ease transportation and boost economic opportunities across the country and beyond borders.
He said the road which connects Ebonyi and Cross River States through Ndibe Beach in Afikpo to Benue and Kogi States will open economic floodgate for the people of Nigeria and neighboring communities in Cameroon.
Leader of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development team, Mainouna Sidibe expressed satisfaction with the level of road revolution across the country under the Renewed Hope Agenda and promised to support any developmental initiative that will boost economic opportunities for ECOWAS member countries.
