by THE URGENT NEED TO UPGRADE INFRASTRUCTURE AND STANDARDISE TRAVELLING PROCESSES AT THE MARGARET EKPO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATE.
Sponsor: Senator (Prof.) Sandy Ojang Onor (Cross River Central)
Co-Sponsors: … Senator Gershom Bassey
Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe
The Senate:
NOTES that the Calabar airport, Cross River State, was commissioned in July 1983, by former President Shehu Shagari and was equipped with modern facilities at the time and was soon raised to the status of an International airport.
FURTHER NOTES that in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the National Carrier; Nigeria Airways, used to fly regionally from Calabar to Cameroun and Equitorial Guinea. This impacted positively on the economy of Cross River State, Nigeria and the sub-region at large.
AWARE that the airport had standard facilities at that time, which were being maintained by the Federal Government. Most of these facilities while still being used, are now obsolete and need to be upgraded or replaced.
FURTHER AWARE that although the airport still has the “international” status, the airport does not operate any international or regional flights anymore. In fact, until recently, only one commercial airline plied the Calabar route.
WORRIED that if the international status of the airport is not restored, most of these facilities will further deteriorate and waste.
CONCERNED that the lack of international / regional flights has greatly affected the economy and tourism drive of the state in particular and Nigeria at large.
ACCORDINGLY RESOLVES TO:
Urge the Federal Ministry of Aviation and all other relevant agencies to functionally restore the International flight status of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar.
Urge the Federal Ministry of Aviation and all other relevant agencies to fix and upgrade existing facilities to meet up with the required international standards.
Urge the Federal Ministry of Aviation and all relevant agencies to ensure adequate security cover in and around the airport to protect equipment such as the Navigational Aids, lighting cables and the perimeter fence that are constantly vandalised by criminally minded people.
Urge the Federal Ministry of Aviation and other relevant agencies to provide any facility needed to restore the International status of the airport, such as the Instrument Landing System (ILS) for night landings and the approach lights, which have been vandalised due to inadequate security cover.
Urge the Federal Ministry of Aviation and other relevant agencies to install the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS). This will aid in restarting the International route programme of the Airport.
I so move.
