President Muhammadu Buhari was in
Rivers State on Thursday to commission the new International Wing at the Port
Harcourt airport.
Here is the full statement of the
President’s speech.
I am very pleased to formally
commission the new International Terminal of the Port Harcourt Airport, Omagwa
today. This ceremony represents a significant landmark for International air
travelers, particularly from the South-South region, and the entire Country.
2. You will recall that after
opening the major airport terminals in the country in the late 70s and early
80s, not much was added to increase the passenger handling capacity of these
facilities by successive administrations.
3. Following the large increase
in the national population with consequent surge in air passenger traffic, the
capacity of the airport terminals became woefully inadequate to cater for the
increase in passenger traffic.
4. Although, palliative measures
were periodically carried out, the facilities were fast giving-in to the
effects of wear and tear. It therefore became necessary to take decisive action
to ensure our terminals meet minimum international standards for the travelling
public.
5. The Federal Government
responded to a global trend in which aviation became a catalyst for economic
growth as a result of massive and speedy movement of persons, goods and
services in a safe and secure manner.
6. 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.
7. At the presentation of the
2017 Budget to the National Assembly, I promised to upgrade and develop
Nigeria’s transport, power and health infrastructure, and complete a number of
stalled infrastructure projects.
8. These include construction of
new terminals at the country’s five major airports; numerous major road
projects; key power transmission projects; and the completion of the Kaduna –
Abuja as well as Itakpe to Warri Railway lines.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. I, therefore, wish to commend
the people of the South-South Region and airport users for their patience
during the period of construction.
13. Let me also praise the
efforts of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, particularly Aviation, the
Chinese government and the China Exim Bank for their financial support and the
various roles they played leading to the successful completion of this project.
I also wish to say well done to the contractor, Messrs CCECC for timely service
delivery.
14. It is therefore with great
pleasure that I commission the new International Terminal building of Port
Harcourt International Airport.
Thank you and God bless the
Federal Republic.
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