Sir;

It is so, so gratifying to see our State leap forward towards economic emancipation. Thanks to the newly completed Airport/Hangar project initiated and started by the past regime of Victor Attah.

Incidentally, Akpabio was for six years a member of that regime before becoming the governor therefore it should be said that he remained part of the conception. Little wonder why in spite of his disagreement with Obong Attah (who actually gave him breath into politics as he always confessed), he knew that to avoid condemnation, the best thing to do was to complete the airport/hangar project for the benefit of the larger society of Akwa Ibom; though a school of thought says the contract sum was bloated. 

But the most important is that the project has become a reality. Nevertheless, before I leave this segment of my piece, I really would want to know what the N30 billion proposed investment by Arik Air Limited would represent. The Commissioner in whose portfolio the airport project falls under had told us that the government on the whole spent about $300million; this translated to between N45 billion and N48 billion to achieve this fantastic project which has not only the commercial flight status but maintenance aspect known as MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul); first of its kind in West Africa sub-region.

If people are saying that the figure of N48billion is already too much for such a project, what then is Arik Air Nigeria Limited coming up with N30 billion to invest in? Is Arik coming to refund the government N30 billion so as to own 66% of the airport or what? If that is so, is there any law permitting such? And again would it not be that Arik is shielding as some kind of fronts? We need answers to the above.

          Dr. Edet Iniodu, 4 Oak Hill Boulevard, Ontario, Canada