Government to construct Airstrip in Central Region

Atabadze (C/R), June 6, GNA - A proposed three thousand acre land earmarked for the construction of an ultra-modern airstrip at Ataabadze in the Komenda - Edina Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality had been encroached upon by private developers..

Consequently, the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah has directed the KEEA Municipal Assembly to immediately demolish all illegal structures on the land to pave way for the construction of the airstrip.

The Assembly has also been tasked to liaise with traditional authorities in the area to bring an end to the sale of the aviation's land, a situation which could stifle government's determination to revamp the sector.

The Minister gave the directive when she paid a working visit to the Central Region on Tuesday and detected that land for the project had been encroached upon by private developers and churches with buildings that had reached various stages of completion.

The facility, when completed would take light aircraft and charted flights with state of the art equipment and infrastructure to attract revellers from all over the world.

She said the construction of the airstrip formed part of the government's strategy to transform the air transport sector to encourage the movement of people across the country.

It is also part of a comprehensive and integrated national airport systems aimed at addressing the country's air transportation needs, taking into consideration land use and environmental issues.

Mrs Dapaah said the Ministry was in the process of securing its lands across the country through documentation to end the litigation and creeping encroachment on them.

She said the Ministry was working closely with the Ministry of tourism to unlock the tourism potentials of the region and to make it the preferred tourism destination for local and international tourists.

'We are working in collaboration with the Ministry of tourism to boost the tourism potentials of the region and ease transportation challenges of tourists across the world.'

The Minister was accompanied by her Deputy, Mr Kwabena Okyere Mensah, Mr John Attafuah, the Managing Director of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, the Central Regional Minister, Mr Kwamena Duncan and the MCE for KEEA.

GNA

By Isaac Arkoh, GNA