On October 25, 2018, Rivers State was agog as the international wing of the Port Harcourt international airport was commissioned by President Mohammadu Buhari.
But two months after the jubilation, especially by the ruling All Progressive Congress which claimed that the president loves the region contrary to claims by regional leaders that president Buhari is marginalizing the region, the airport is still closed to flights.
The president in his speech during the commissioning said: “As part of the infrastructure renewal program, the construction of four new international terminals at Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano airports was embarked upon by the Federal Government with a view to modernising the aging airport infrastructure to meet global aviation standards and improved service delivery in tandem with best international practices.
“Nigeria having an advantageous central location within the sub-region and our desire to develop into a regional air transportation hub, must upgrade its facilities to take advantage of its assets. The recent decision by the Federal Government to remove Value Added Tax from domestic air transportation is in line with global best practices.
“This will make air travel more affordable and subsequently lead to the creation of jobs by the air transport service value chain as well as increase revenues for government.
“Today’s commissioning is an example of Government’s deliberate policy to sustain the development of infrastructure for economic growth in all geo-political zones of the country.”
However, events that precede the commissioning by president Buhari have negated all the claims made by the president.
Residents of Port Harcourt say that perhaps the government was not ready to install necessary equipment that will ensure functionality of the airport when it commissioned.
Some argued that the government hurriedly commissioned the international terminal to score cheap political points.
Industry experts say there has been no agreement yet by international aviation companies for flights to be scheduled to Port Harcourt. They say that the process takes time and the government should not rush it.
Other experts argued that the government should have put all the necessary machinations in place before rushing to commissioning the airport, adding that it creates the impression that the government is not serious.
When theportcitynews approached the National Airspace Management Authority in Port Harcourt, the agency declined to comment on the reason why the international wing of the airport is still closed two months after it was commissioned.
