Ebonyi to acquire aircraft soon – Commissioner
By Amarachi Ehia, Abakaliki
Ebonyi state government has said it is one step to acquiring its own aircraft.
The state commissioner for Aviation and transport technology, Dr. Ngozi Obichukwu disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Abakaliki.
Obichukwu, who after her visit to the State House of Assembly committee on public account eulogized Governor Francis Nwifuru especially his determination to further develop Ebonyi state.
She disclosed that the state have done all the necessary CAC registration and awaiting the issuance of license to purchase its aircraft.
She said, “Yes, CAC pertains to the Ebonyi Airline PLC. Without the CAC and the board members that are working for the airline, we may not be able to have what we call the air transport license.
“The CAC includes the CAC of the board members as well. We have the Rice World CAC. We have the ICT CAC.And then, those of us that are not company; we must have to show our payee, pay as you earn tax for 33 years. All these things are fund intensive.
“But I thank our dear Governor, Francis Nwifuru, once he is determined to do something, nothing stops him. We have gone ahead to get all the CACs that are required. And now we are heading for the air transport license.
“Once the air transport license comes in, the next thing is the airline, the aircraft. That means the aircraft will soon be ready? Not that the aircraft is already ready, wherever it is. But once the rudiments and all the activities, all the requirements, all the documentations, which are currently ongoing.
“We just concluded with the DSS and the Secretary of the Federation, SGF. We are now ready to be issued the license to enable the purchase. And to procure an airline is not like buying ordinary refrigerator from any market.
“There are other ways to go with it. Like if we see the airline, we have professionals from FAN, NCAA and all the rest of them, that will now go and monitor to ensure that the aircraft is good” she said.
