The N27.7 billion Asaba International Airport built by the Delta State Government would be concessioned to a private investor soon, the state government has said.

The state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, said this Thursday when the National Good Governance Tour (NGGT) team led by Minister of Information Mr. Labaran Maku, visited the airport.

Uduaghan stated that the airport would be fully operational for commercial flight as soon as it is certified by the Federal Ministry of Aviation, adding that the facility would be managed by a private investor for proper maintenance.

He observed that proper maintenance of the airport at the initial stage may not be guaranteed if civil servants were allowed to manage it.

"Civil servants both at the state and federal level do not have that maintenance spirit, but it will be operational as soon as it is certified by the Federal Ministry of Aviation," he said.

Uduaghan who commended President Goodluck Jonathan for allowing the NGGT initiative to thrive, said the project was a welcomed development.

He also lauded Maku for embarking on the tour, as he pledged total support for the programme.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Monitoring and Evaluation, Prof. Sylvester Monye, has said the 36 state governors were committed to supporting the NGGT, adding that the statement credited to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State might have been reported out of context.

Oshiomhole was quoted to have said that Edo State was not ready to host the NGGT team members with Edo State tax payers' money.

Monye, who joined the NGGT team in Asaba Thursday, said the tour was not a project of the Federal Government, but a collaboration of his office, the National Planning Commission (NPC), and the 36 states governors.

"I met with Oshiomhole over the weekend in Ekiti State, and he told me some things about the tour, I am surprised that he would go to the press with it, I believe he must have been quoted out of context," he said.