Enugu — Governors of the five South East states have decried the deplorable state of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, maintaining that the facility was no longer safe for travelling.

Rising from their meeting yesterday in Enugu, they called on the Federal Government to urgently commence rehabilitation works, especially on the runway and the lighting system.

Lamenting the parlous state of infrastructure at the airport, Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and chief executive of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, stated that the gateway poses a serious risk to lives.

He noted that the situation was worsened by the remedial works recently carried out at the facility.

His words: "The Forum draws the Federal Government's attention to the deplorable state of the runway, the lights and the tarmac and called on the Minister of State for Aviation to visit the airport for an on-the-spot assessment and intervention.

"We recall that a contract was awarded to a company that resurfaced some sections of the tarmac and we don't know whether the tarmac is worse off on the completion of work.

So, our demand is that the minister should come with experts to look at it.

When you travel on the runway, you notice stiff efforts being made by pilots to land. It is not safe for our people at all."

Umahi continued: "There is a runway light recently installed that is as good as nothing because it is not efficient and does not ease landing in the night.

You have a case where no flight can land from 6.30p.m. It is not acceptable.

There is also one building that is in the front of the airport.

It has been destroyed by thunderstorm and it would not take the Federal Government more than 15 million naira to fix it.

So, we request that the minister should, as a matter of urgency and security of the lives of our people and of course other Nigerians, to immediately intervene and direct the contractors to do the right thing."