The slow pace of renovation work at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa has incurred the ire of the Rivers State House of Assembly, with members threatening to go on hunger strike to drive home their displeasure.
In a motion of urgent public importance on the issue brought before the House, yesterday, the member representing Emohua constituency, Hon Chidi Lloyd drew the attention of the House to the suffering which the closure of the airport has brought to travellers, especially the people of the state who patronise the airport.
According to Hon Lloyd, the pace and quality of work there is below expectation, and wondered why the Federal Government has allowed such state of affairs to exist since June, 2006, when the airport was closed.
Lloyd recalled that to ensure speedy completion of work and the reopening of the airport, the Rivers State Government assisted the federal authorities with the sum of N2billion, and wondered why the Federal Government was adopting a non-challant attitude towards the renovation work.
He than urged his colleagues to treat the matter as one of urgent public importance, considering the loses both in human and material terms, which the people of the state had to contend with in travelling through the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri.
According to Lloyd, the delay in the completion of renovation work at the Port Harcourt International Airport must have some political undertone and calls for urgent consideration by the House.
In their contributions, the House Leader, Hon Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja (Opobo/Nkoro) and the Deputy House Leader, James G. Fuayefika (Okrika) while supporting the motion, noted that it was unlawful for the Federal Government to close the airport without first awarding the contract for its renovation.
They also demanded that a proper motion be brought on the issue so that the House could follow it up accordingly.
However, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Tonye Harry, who presided over the session during which all the members frowned at the attitude of the Federal Government and its agencies responsible for the delay, urged Hon Lloyd to b ring the matter in a proper motion so that the House could liaise with members of the National Assembly to resolve the issue.
He also ruled out the possibility of members embarking on hunger strike to underline their disapproval of Federal Government’s disposition toward the airport.
Meanwhile, the bill seeking for control of domestic violence was presented by the Whip of the House, Hope Ikiriko.
In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Tonye Harry while committing the bill to the legal department for harmonisation of issues observed by members, urged them to speed up action on the bill and report back to the House by Monday.
Also, the bill to establish Rivers State University of Education (Act) 2007, was presented to the House by the House Leader, Hon Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja, and was deferred to Monday next week.
