By Dele Sobowale

“This is what the truth is. Going behind what you hear first. Asking a hundred questions until you make up your own mind on the basis of real evidence.” James A Michener in Hawai.

James Michener was for years an editor before he became a writer of historical novels; he wrote over 20 books and he is one of my mentors – even in death. When in 1994, I first started writing general commentary, the first thing was to find out the cardinal principle of journalism and to apply it at all times to all situations and issues.

It still boils down to finding the facts and not being swayed by popular opinions. I am still not a journalist, and will never be, but the issue of Asaba Airport, which to me is still basically an economic matter has driven me to the farthest length in recent times in getting to the bottom of a story.

I thank the private donors who are only interested in the investment opportunities the airport will provide. May be, one day, I will be able to do the same for Uyo and Gombe Airports. These are “gold mines” waiting to be mined.

In part two of this series, two text messages received concerning Asaba Airport were published. The first claimed that N40 billion had been spent on the project; the second asked me to go and find out things for myself. That challenge by the second reader was accepted on this page and I went out in search of evidence.

First , I virtually “gate-crashed” into a retreat organized by the Delta State Government, in Warri, for its Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Special Advisers. I requested for and got and appointment to discuss with anybody and everybody who could provide information about the airport.

The Governor granted the request on a Saturday and I was scheduled to arrive Asaba the following Thursday for the official appointment.

Unknown to the Governor, I dashed to Lagos Sunday and returned to Asaba on Monday with a retired Airforce pilot friend in tow; he knows a lot about airports having flown into over 300 worldwide. We wanted to conduct our own investigation before the officials took over.

We returned to Lagos on Wednesday with independent information; most of which will be shared with our readers. The only parts left out will be those pertaining to security – for obvious reasons. There is probably no media practitioner in Nigeria today who knows more about the airport than me.

I even now know a few things the Governor does not know; because the establishment of an international airport induces more economic, social, cultural, environmental and political changes than a feasibility study can capture.

At this point let me provide the answer to the questions asked about feasibility study and increased cost. Yes there was a feasibility study when the airport was first conceived as a purely a domestic airport. It was amended when it was decided to scale it up to an international airport.

Surely, everybody can understand that when you alter an airport designed to accommodate small aircraft to one which can service the biggest in the world, 747s and Airbuses, the cost of construction must go up. So there was no “economic terrorism” involved –only understandable economics of scale and scope.

However, before going into the “heart of the matter”, let me make a few necessary observations which will assist non-Deltans, as well as Deltans themselves, to understand the state a little bit better. In summary, ethnicity and politics are combining to make cooperation for overall development of the state virtually impossible.

The “Pull-Him-Down, PHD” syndrome is probably highest in Delta State than in most states of Nigeria. Thus, assessment of every project, or initiative of government, is filtered through those prisms first making objective appraisals almost impossible.

Garibaldi, 1807-1882, the Father of modern Italy was once quoted saying that, “we have created Italy, now we must create Italians”. President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, when creating Delta state should also have announced that “we have created Delta State, now we have to create Deltans”.

Few states in Nigeria emulate the Tower of Babel more than those ethnic groups, mainly, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw, Isoko, Igbo and Ika, in Delta State. Each of them holds primary allegiance to their ethnic group first and to Delta State next.

Thus when Babangida’s government selected Asaba as the state capital, a choice allegedly influenced by his wife Maryam, the couple incurred the everlasting enmity of the “real Deltans” – defined as Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw and Isoko.

Making matters worse was the fact that oil production in the state takes place mainly in the “real Delta”. As far as they are concerned, their money is being used to develop a part of Delta which really doesn’t belong there. And for years, “real Deltans”, operating under the belief that the capital will soon be moved to the “real Delta”, refused to move permanently to Asaba.

Years later, the feelings are still strong in many quarters that any majour expenditure by Delta State government is a waste of funds. So, irrespective of its merits, the project must be denounced. The Asaba International, yes, it is going to be an International Airport in every sense of the word, is only the latest, but by no means the last project situated in Asaba, which will be subjected to deliberate misinformation and mischief instead of objective analysis.

I write as someone who first stepped on Delta soil in 1975 and has conducted corporate and private (weddings, burials, foundation laying ceremonies etc) in virtually all corners of Delta) on at least 300 occasions since then. Only a non-Deltan, ready to go out and find out the truth can objectively comment of Delta; the Deltans themselves are too emotionally involved to be impartial.

First of all, it needs to be repeated that the Asaba Airport represents for me a new and viable economic resource to which foreign and domestic investments should be attracted. My first three trips to Asaba, two by air and one by road, were privately funded.

There will be more such trips, God spearing my life, because already, over fifty feasible investment projects have been identified on account of the airport. In fact, the investments the airport will attract will dwarf the cost of construction by almost a factor of one to hundred or more.

The real cost of the project will soon be addressed, because it was a promise given to investigate and report back to our readers. That has been done and permit me to jump the gun by stating categorically, that the total contract cost is under N30 billion – for an international airport; when a runway in Abuja was awarded for N69 billion.

Yet, Nigerians have been fed with figures ranging from N40 billion to N70 billion. Incidentally, none of those peddling those outrageous figures had ever interviewed the Governor of Delta State. I did. And, he told me authoritatively that only N27 billion had been spent; and barring unforeseen problems, the total cost will be less than N30 billion. I challenge anybody to fault that – and provide evidence.

Kudos Governor Uduaghan for the beautiful Airport

@OP, don't worry ur bubble go soon burst. No be all of us get the state? We go see how it plays after May 29th.

Asaba airport has already attracted another airport in to Delta state.
As we speak, a massive international airport is being built beside the Osubi airport Warri. On completion, this airport will rival the PH international airport in size.