Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, has described the Gateway International Airport as a veritable solution to the ever busy Muritala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
Fagbemi also commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for his work ethics, saying he brings great vision and lots of passion into governance.
The Attorney General spoke after inspecting the Gateway International Airport, shortly after attending the installation of Alhaji Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa as the Asiwaju of Ijebuland at the weekend.
Fagbemi said the airport is of high quality and international standard, adding that Ogun State will derive enormous benefits from its construction.
He said: “It is apparent that he is working. You can not imagine that this place was like a forest some four, five years ago.
“So, to have done it, brought it up to this taste and standard within a very short time shows the type of person that he is. He is a man of taste, a man of vision, and he is a great economist because he knows that the benefit that the state will derive and by extension the generality of people is enormous.
“I want to say that the airport is coming ahead of its time and it is of international standard.
“You know there is so much pressure on the Lagos airport.
This airport serves as a veritable buffer, and it comes so handy, especially because of its proximity to Lagos and the state of the economy in both states.”
Earlier, Governor Abiodun disclosed that he was happy with the progress and the quality of work done on the airport, even as he noted that his administration vigorously followed the implementation plan and timelines for the airport.
Prince Abiodun said approval has been received to begin non-scheduled flights and would also receive a no objection for commercial flight operations to commence in another 30 days’ time.
“I am very happy with the progress of work. Beyond the progress, I am very happy with the quality of the work. This is a first-class airport without a doubt, and each time I come here, I go round and inspect the different aspects, our level of completion.
“Middle of this week, we received our approval to begin to operate non-scheduled flights like I have speculated, which means that non-scheduled flights like private planes can now declare their intention to come to this airport and file their flight plans and land in this airport.
“I am convinced that in another two weeks, we will receive a no objection for commercial flights to commence operation here and it is my desire to ensure that commercial operation indeed commenced in another 30 days or thereabouts, God willing.
“Like I always say, you can build all roads in the world. Anybody can build a highway, but not many administrations can build an airport. An airport connects you from one location to the rest of the world,” he said.