From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba


WITH the approval of N37.3 billion, the Delta State government yesterday indicated its intention of upgrading the Osubi Airstrip near Warri to an international airport.


The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah, who disclosed this yesterday in Asaba told reporters that the decision was a resolution by the State Executive Council after two days of meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday.


The project, when finally awarded, would be another mega scheme of the state government.


Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan stated in August that most of the projects, including the Asaba International Airport, would not be completed before he leaves office in 2015.


The Commissioner for Special Infrastructure, Orezi Esievo, who was with Ogeah explained that Osubi Airstrip upgrade contract entailed the construction of a car park, a 4km runway and other ancillary facilities.


Esievo said that the project would also include electrical works comprising runway lighting system, airfield lighting system, navigational aid control, instrument landing system, generator house, fuel tank farm, control tower and power bud station.


Currently, the state has another budding airport at the state capital, Asaba, but she defended the Warri project, saying that upgrading the airport would enable larger aircraft land there.

http://nigeriaworld.com/cgi-bin/axs/ax.pl?http://odili.net/news/source/2012/oct/26/2.html

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Just what is it with Delta state and airports ? They've already spent more than 40 billion naira on Asaba airport, and as if one airport isn't enough, they've decided in their wisdom to spend another 37 billion naira (aprox' $200 million) on upgrading Osubi airstrip to int'l status.

Is the one in Asaba already int'l?; if not, then why didn't they make it so from the beginning and then give Osubi airstrip a minor upgrade with less funds; but if the argument is that Osubi is a busy airport -and hence deserves int'l status- then why waste more than 40 billion on Asaba (esp' if it's not an int'l airport)?

Had there been joined up thinking, what they could have done would have been to construct a kick-arss airport either at Asaba or Osubi (preferably Osubi, since there's one there already, which just needs an upgrade), and then build a rail network connecting the two cities.....the airport would be busier and yeild more revenue; as it stands now, they're going to spend more than 80 billion naira on two airports, when they easily could have spent about 37 billion on (let's say) Osubi, and then spend another 30 billion for instance on a state-wide rail network (maybe extending to Onitsha, using the new Niger bridge....this is where more joined up thinking comes in).

Anyway, maybe they're swimming in petro-dollars and can afford to spend this kind of money.

confused government

Another benefit of a state-wide rail network is that it would impact on the life of the poor Deltan more than two airports would, and would help open up the state and create more jobs (ie- station staff, train drivers, ticket inspectors, track maintainance staff, supplies-contractors, etc).

After spending a whooping 40Billion naira on d Asaba airport project, bigger planes can't land on it, even the smaller ones land at the risk of crash landing owing to d bad state of the airport. UDUAGHAN needs to borrow a leaf from Akwa Ibom government that has a functional airport for less than 20Billion naira, though I know he would'nt want to, since the airport project is used as a conduit pipe to milk d common wealth of Deltans dry. UDUAGHAN, God is watching u!

PROUD-IGBO:
[b]Another benefit of a state-wide rail network is that it would impact on the life of the poor Deltan [/b]more than two airports would, and would help open up the state and create more jobs (ie- station staff, train drivers, ticket inspectors, track maintainance staff, supplies-contractors, etc).

Gbammmm

let me play the role of a type of devils advocate on this thread...

Asaba is only the capital of delta state in words, the real capital is Warri, so anything done in Asaba would have a replica in Warri just in case tomorrow Asaba people get their own Anioma State.

otokx: let me play the role of a type of devils advocate on this thread...

Asaba is only the capital of delta state in words, the real capital is Warri, so anything done in Asaba would have a replica in Warri just in case tomorrow Asaba people get their own Anioma State.

^^^Unfortunatley it's the reality, but an expensive one Delta state can ill afford with its present revenue profile.

In my opinion, I think a railway system ought to have been more needful to compliment the existing airports and the Delta city transport scheme. Notwithstanding , there's s nothin wrong with the initiative of having two international airports.