Abuja — As part of activities marking the 22nd anniversary of the creation of Akwa-Ibom State, all is now set for the commissioning of the state 's International Airport built at the cost of $170.5 million.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Commission for Information and State Re-orientation, Aniekan Umanah, stated that the first flight into the airport will land on Wednesday.

According to him, "Akwa-Ibom was one of the two states that were created on September 23, 1987 by the then military administration of President Ibrahim Babangida; so the state will be celebrating its 22nd year of existence as a state.

"The state has gone through its embryonic stages and is gradually coming of age under the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio as a mature political entity.

"Yes, Akwa-Ibom is 22 years but I must tell you that the last two years have been the most impactful in the sense that Governor Akpabio has delivered to Akwa-Ibom people the first state owned international airport.

"It is a project that he inherited at the embryonic stage from the last administration and has delivered it totally in two years. The airport will play host to its maiden flight on September 23, " he added.

Umanah said "Akwa-Ibom people are very happy and looking forward to this historic day. The people are ecstatic and the feeling is electric; we are all looking forward to the end of the tortuous journey of travelling to the neighbouring states because we want to travel to either Lagos or Abuja.

"The two to three hours trip to the neighbouring states through very bad roads has now been removed. So we are happy with the governor, our people are very excited and are visiting the airport every day, " the commissioner said.