Asaba Airport: New gateway to the East


IN July 2008, it was a dream. Yet, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State who saw a potential money-spinner, asked the former Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, to lay the foundation stone in Asaba, the state capital. On Monday, the vision has been realised with the landing of a commercial plane on the Asaba International Airport.

The Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah said with the successful landing of commercial flights on the airport, it was an indication that the edifice was fully ready for the purpose it was built.

An ecstatic Ogeah had said that with the landing of two airliners from Abuja with passengers last week Wednesday, commercial flights to the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos were set.

The two aircraft, one each from Prime Air and Overland had landed at the airport almost the same time at about 3.00 p.m. to the admiration of Dr. Uduaghan who was personally there with his deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN) and other top government officials to welcome the passengers.

Another 48-seater Overland plane from Abuja marked 5N-BND landed at the airport on Monday at 12.17 p.m. When the doors swung open, among the 20 passengers who alighted from the plane was Sam Arowosafe, an engineer. He commended the standard of the airport facilities.

Arowosafe said that the project was a good development, as it would boost the economic development of the state:  “This is a good development. We are happy to be here and it will reduce cost.”

Another passenger, Ezechi Nwoye remarked that the airport has made air transport easy for the people living in neighbouring Anambra State just across the River Niger.

Both Arowosafe and Nwoye explained that before now they had to travel to Benin Airport, some 156km away to board flights but with the start of operations in Asaba, it will definitely cost them less to travel by air.

Uduaghan who also made the historic flight on the Overland aircraft last Wednesday said that what once was a dream has manifested into concrete reality.

He explained that even the best airport in the world still has some minor works going on either in the form of renovation or adding more facilities.

The governor therefore appealed to Nigerians to be patient and follow the trend in airport development as it was not easy to completely finish work in an airport in one fell swoop.

Ogeah said that the runway, the control tower, the taxiway and all the necessary communication equipment have been installed.

According to him, safety gadgets, which are of international standard have been installed.

The Airport Project Director, Austin Ayemidejor added that aviation security, meteorological and other staff needed for the smooth running of the airport have been recruited.

He said that check-in counter, luggage scanners and landing instrument, have since been installed while workers of the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have been deployed to the various departments.

When Uduaghan announced late last year during an unscheduled visit that going by the progress of construction work on the airport, it was going to begin operations very shortly, not many took him serious. Of course, time and again, he had said that the first aircraft will indeed “land in a few weeks’ time”.

Way back on January 4, 2008 the then Commissioner for Information, Oma Djebah had assured that the government was committed to building a modern airport in Asaba.

Built on a vast virgin land on the Benin-Asaba highway, the project received a fair share of criticism from opposition members of the state. The cost was scoffed at so also is the duration. But all that seemed history now with the landing of four commercial flights on July 13 and 18.

The government had initially valued the airport project at N14 billion then scaled it down to N7 billion but eventually pumped in N17.5 billion after the initial N5 billion voted for it.

The airport comes with a three-kilometre runway, a modern terminal building and a car park for over 1,000 vehicles.

Even with a multinational-owned airport at Osubi, Effurun, the government had defended the project saying that it was not correct for the people of the state to travel by road to neighbouring states to board planes each time they wanted to travel.

As for Osubi Airport, Uduaghan assured that it will not be neglected as expansion work to pave way for the landing of bigger planes was on.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Uduaghan had promised to complete the project well ahead of the 24 months duration.

As a result of the expansion of the runway, he said that the airport could accommodate big passenger and cargo planes.

The governor said that he decided to go ahead with the project, which was conceived by his predecessor in office, Chief James Ibori because of many reasons.

According to him, people in Asaba have to travel to neighbouring states to fly and in the process, waste several man-hours on the road because of the simple fact that the Delta State capital did not have an airport.

With the huge eastern market just across the River Niger, Uduaghan said that the project would be viable.

“Asaba has been suffering the problem of no airport for a very long time. This will not be an abandoned project. Asaba is long overdue for an airport and we are determined to complete it no matter the cost,” he vowed.

Besides, the governor said that once the project takes off, a lot of jobs will be provided, adding that this will help in checking youth restiveness in the state, which is very rampant because of the high rate of unemployment.

According to him, the project was embarked upon to encourage investors and will be a major link to many parts of the country.

The Minister of Finance and a former Managing Director at the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala commended the project emphasizing that it would be an excellent business gateway to the eastern part of the country when completed.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala who had accompanied Uduaghan on an inspection tour of the project then expressed delight that the state governor not only had the will to begin the project but also was determined to complete it in quick time from the facts on the ground.

Even before the completion of construction work, the Federal Government promptly granted an operational licence to the airport, citing the facilities on ground which the former Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba said were of high standard.

He said: “You have made the right decision by building an airport of international standard in Asaba…I am very pleased with the project because you have channeled your resources in the right direction, ”

For Utuama, the head of the project implementation team, the aim of the state government is to make the airport a world class.

He said that the project would make the government to realise its dream of turning the state to the hub of economic activities in the country.



http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55218:asaba-airport-new-gateway-to-the-east&catid=3:metro&Itemid=558

The airport is just a big conduit pipe for siphoning funds by uduaghan, Ibori and co. You the un-completed white elephant project that will never be completed.

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