Failed promise

ON May 7, 2008, a year after the assumption of office by former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, laid the foundation stone of the Asaba International Airport.

One of the key promises the former governor made was that the airport project would not be abandoned. The Okpanam community, where it was sited, and other neighbouring communities, would not regret giving their land for this project. Also promising to build a world-class facility, Uduaghan said that Deltans would never have to go to neighbouring states to travel to other parts of the country and beyond.

The construction of Asaba International Airport project was approved at an executive council meeting of the state cabinet on February 12, 2008, at the cost of N6.4 billion. The cost was reviewed up to N21.2 billion in 2014.

READ ALSO:

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The contract was awarded to an indigenous contractor, U.L.O. Consultants Ltd. ULO consultants Ltd, owned by Late Ogbueshi Uche Luke Okpuno, an Asaba indigene, who was regarded in several quarters as a key business player in James Ibori and Uduaghan administration. Uduaghan served as secretary to the state government under Ibori and succeeded Ibori to be governor.

At an inspection tour of the airport in September 2010, two years after the foundation laying ceremony and in the presence of former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonji Iwela and others, Uduaghan was quoted as saying that: “Asaba has been suffering the problem of no airport for a very long time. This will not be an abandoned project where Asaba people would regret giving their arable land. The airport is located in Asaba because of the strategic position of Asaba itself. Asaba is the quickest link to the East. The Asaba will be an aero-hub if successive administrations stay focused with the standard airport it would become when functional.”

However, years after, Uduaghan’s plan and the hopes of host communities of Asaba Airport of attracting economic benefits and development to the area have been dashed, following the poor state of the facility, with wild brushes taking over the airport; the buildings, carrier vans, parking lots provide a conducive atmosphere for open defecation for passers-by, while gully erosion also ravages parts of the complex each time it rains.

Residents of Okpanam and Ibusa communities in Oshimili South Local Government Area are already counting their losses due to the perennial flooding that render them homeless each time it rains.

Joseph Akwuanu, married with three kids and resident in Airport View Estate, opposite the Asaba International Airport and other residents, are on the verge of being sacked from their homes due to the persistent flooding in the area. The 47-year-old taxi driver said life has become unbearable for his family and other estate residents, as their houses are always flooded whenever it rains.

How Asaba Airport was downgraded

The Asaba airport became operational in 2014 until it was downgraded in 2015 by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the failure by Delta State Government to put in place safety and security measures and the poor state of facilities, a development that would make it impossible for big aircraft to land, Assistant Director, Press & Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu,​ said in May 2015. He stressed that the airport was allowed to accommodate Dash 8-Q 400 aircraft operation or its equivalent until all the safety issues were addressed.

Amid cries that the contractor did a shoddy job, Governor Okowa embarked on the facility upgrade, including constructing a new runway, instrument landing system and field lighting to have the airport return to 24-hour operations in 2019.

While the upgrade was in progress, the governor started scouting for private investors to take over the facility and transform it into a regional hub. Weeks later, the governor said that the state settled for a consortium of concessionaire operators/investors “with the technical and financial capabilities to redevelop, finance, design, operate, maintain and manage the Asaba International Airport for the benefit of Deltans”.

[b]Asaba Concession signing
[/b]Group photograph of Gov. Okowa, Govt officials and the concessionaire
This announcement heralded a new twist in fate for the project. Halcrow Infrastructure Nigeria Limited was appointed as the transaction adviser for the concession. Bids for the Asaba International Airport concession were opened in May 2019 with two consortia – First Investment Development Company Menzies consortium (the preferred bidder) and AI-MS Aviation Infrastructure consortium (reserved bidder) as favourites.

The two groups were led by Adanwimo Ezeife and Onome Onokpasa, respectively, and both commended the transparency of the bidding process, adding that they look forward to the announcement of the results of the technical evaluation.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/multi-billion-asaba-international-airport-remains-inoperative-13-years-after-launch/

Shame

Can only happen in .......

LoL

It's like time travel for Anambra Airport

URep:
[s]Is it same airport that Vice President Osinbajo SAN, 35 Governors passed through when coming to Owa-Alero for Gov Okowa's father burial you are talking about?

Or is it the airport that businessmen going to Onitsha and environs go through you are talking about? Calm down sir. If this is a Political post simply say so. Your name obviously shows you are not from around Asaba.

How can you come here to contradict yourself...? Look at the title of your post: "Multi-billion Asaba Int. Airport Remains Inoperative 13 Years After Launch", yet inside your post you said it was operating, yet someone who has no sense of investigation and has possibly never been to Asaba before is commenting "shame". This is Nigeria.

Asaba has flood problem, based on its location, and lack of initial planning and other reasons. But putting it at the feet of the airport shows a lack of knowledge about Asaba, because where the airport is located is well removed from residential areas... This post is at least 78% rubbish meant to indict without facts.

Finally, for the writer's information, about 80% of the airport land belongs to Ibusa, not Okpanam as the writer insinuated. If you were actually in Delta you would probably know that[/s].

You are the one blinded by politics and mediocrity

It is working and yet was leased out on concession at a shameful price

Asaba airport was a looting pipe for Uduaghan and Uche Okpuno

Is it same airport that Vice President Osinbajo SAN, 35 Governors passed through when coming to Owa-Alero for Gov Okowa's father burial you are talking about?

Or is it the airport that businessmen going to Onitsha and environs go through you are talking about? Calm down sir. If this is a Political post simply say so. Your name obviously shows you are not from around Asaba.

How can you come here to contradict yourself...? Look at the title of your post: "Multi-billion Asaba Int. Airport Remains Inoperative 13 Years After Launch", yet inside your post you said it was operating, yet someone who has no sense of investigation and has possibly never been to Asaba before is commenting "shame". This is Nigeria.

Asaba has flood problem, based on its location, and lack of initial planning and other reasons. But putting it at the feet of the airport shows a lack of knowledge about Asaba, because where the airport is located is well removed from residential areas... This post is at least 78% rubbish meant to indict without facts.

Finally, for the writer's information, about 80% of the airport land belongs to Ibusa, not Okpanam as the writer insinuated. If you were actually in Delta you would probably know that.

Buhari minister of aviation should get the airport working

Haba

Shehuyinka:
Failed promise

ON May 7, 2008, a year after the assumption of office by former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, laid the foundation stone of the Asaba International Airport.

One of the key promises the former governor made was that the airport project would not be abandoned. The Okpanam community, where it was sited, and other neighbouring communities, would not regret giving their land for this project. Also promising to build a world-class facility, Uduaghan said that Deltans would never have to go to neighbouring states to travel to other parts of the country and beyond.

The construction of Asaba International Airport project was approved at an executive council meeting of the state cabinet on February 12, 2008, at the cost of N6.4 billion. The cost was reviewed up to N21.2 billion in 2014.

READ ALSO:

Shady deal that marred sale of Delta Line

Counting cost: Families in tears as oil spillage destroys life, livelihoods in Delta community

BLOOD ON UNIFORMS (4): Policewoman killed by policeman in Rivers; man gunned down by soldier in Delta

The contract was awarded to an indigenous contractor, U.L.O. Consultants Ltd. ULO consultants Ltd, owned by Late Ogbueshi Uche Luke Okpuno, an Asaba indigene, who was regarded in several quarters as a key business player in James Ibori and Uduaghan administration. Uduaghan served as secretary to the state government under Ibori and succeeded Ibori to be governor.

At an inspection tour of the airport in September 2010, two years after the foundation laying ceremony and in the presence of former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonji Iwela and others, Uduaghan was quoted as saying that: “Asaba has been suffering the problem of no airport for a very long time. This will not be an abandoned project where Asaba people would regret giving their arable land. The airport is located in Asaba because of the strategic position of Asaba itself. Asaba is the quickest link to the East. The Asaba will be an aero-hub if successive administrations stay focused with the standard airport it would become when functional.”

However, years after, Uduaghan’s plan and the hopes of host communities of Asaba Airport of attracting economic benefits and development to the area have been dashed, following the poor state of the facility, with wild brushes taking over the airport; the buildings, carrier vans, parking lots provide a conducive atmosphere for open defecation for passers-by, while gully erosion also ravages parts of the complex each time it rains.

Residents of Okpanam and Ibusa communities in Oshimili South Local Government Area are already counting their losses due to the perennial flooding that render them homeless each time it rains.

Joseph Akwuanu, married with three kids and resident in Airport View Estate, opposite the Asaba International Airport and other residents, are on the verge of being sacked from their homes due to the persistent flooding in the area. The 47-year-old taxi driver said life has become unbearable for his family and other estate residents, as their houses are always flooded whenever it rains.

How Asaba Airport was downgraded

The Asaba airport became operational in 2014 until it was downgraded in 2015 by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the failure by Delta State Government to put in place safety and security measures and the poor state of facilities, a development that would make it impossible for big aircraft to land, Assistant Director, Press & Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu,​ said in May 2015. He stressed that the airport was allowed to accommodate Dash 8-Q 400 aircraft operation or its equivalent until all the safety issues were addressed.

Amid cries that the contractor did a shoddy job, Governor Okowa embarked on the facility upgrade, including constructing a new runway, instrument landing system and field lighting to have the airport return to 24-hour operations in 2019.

While the upgrade was in progress, the governor started scouting for private investors to take over the facility and transform it into a regional hub. Weeks later, the governor said that the state settled for a consortium of concessionaire operators/investors “with the technical and financial capabilities to redevelop, finance, design, operate, maintain and manage the Asaba International Airport for the benefit of Deltans”.

[b]Asaba Concession signing
[/b]Group photograph of Gov. Okowa, Govt officials and the concessionaire
This announcement heralded a new twist in fate for the project. Halcrow Infrastructure Nigeria Limited was appointed as the transaction adviser for the concession. Bids for the Asaba International Airport concession were opened in May 2019 with two consortia – First Investment Development Company Menzies consortium (the preferred bidder) and AI-MS Aviation Infrastructure consortium (reserved bidder) as favourites.

The two groups were led by Adanwimo Ezeife and Onome Onokpasa, respectively, and both commended the transparency of the bidding process, adding that they look forward to the announcement of the results of the technical evaluation.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/multi-billion-asaba-international-airport-remains-inoperative-13-years-after-launch/

Jews frustrated the contract- AntiBalaka

Why are you are lieing like this? What do you hope to gain by doing this?

This is an airport I perosnally arrived at and departed from in December last year!

BabbanBura:
Why are you are lieing like this? What do you hope to gain by doing this?

This is an airport I perosnally arrived at and departed from in December last year!

Hmm! OP Shehuyinka someone is saying something here oo

It doesn't even look like an airport. It looks like a Church

These "one Nigeria" unity beggers always like writing trash about SE and SS just to justify their unity begging objective.

How much dem pay u 4 this childish lie?

GOVERNANCE OF ALL TIERS IN NAIJA IS A CURSED PLACE,YU NEED TO CLEANSE THE PLACE B4 SETTLING DOWN,OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE SWIMING IN THAT CURSE AND CANT SEE WELL OR THINK RIGHT TILL YU EXIT OFFICE. THAT IS WHY ONLY PEOPLE OUTSIDE GOVT CAN SEE THE ILLS AND WRONG THINGS THERE,WHILE PPL INSIDE SEE NOTHING WRONG BUT ONLY TO CLEAR THE TREASURY FOR SELFISH ENDS.

Which Asaba airport again?

Do we have another airport in Asaba or this same one I arrived yesterday from Abuja.

Airport that I Arrived from Lagos with my family last week.. op who do you!! Say no drug

I was in Asaba 3 months ago, the Airport works, maybe not up to the standard it ought to. I hate fake news.

URep:
Is it same airport that Vice President Osinbajo SAN, 35 Governors passed through when coming to Owa-Alero for Gov Okowa's father burial you are talking about?

Or is it the airport that businessmen going to Onitsha and environs go through you are talking about? Calm down sir. If this is a Political post simply say so. Your name obviously shows you are not from around Asaba.

How can you come here to contradict yourself...? Look at the title of your post: "Multi-billion Asaba Int. Airport Remains Inoperative 13 Years After Launch", yet inside your post you said it was operating, yet someone who has no sense of investigation and has possibly never been to Asaba before is commenting "shame". This is Nigeria.

Asaba has flood problem, based on its location, and lack of initial planning and other reasons. But putting it at the feet of the airport shows a lack of knowledge about Asaba, because where the airport is located is well removed from residential areas... This post is at least 78% rubbish meant to indict without facts.

Finally, for the writer's information, about 80% of the airport land belongs to Ibusa, not Okpanam as the writer insinuated. If you were actually in Delta you would probably know that.

Airport functioning properly

A

Airport is one of the economically non-viable ventures 95% of Nigerian states should go into.

The airport is very much functional, I personally witnessed more than 10 planes took off within an hour from the airport last month.

The writer is has a BIG problem.

proeast:
These "one Nigeria" unity beggers always like writing trash about SE and SS just to justify their unity begging objective.

Unity Beggar? Please go & ask your parents which country they are from? Maybe Republic du Benin or Cameroon?

sapientia:
LoL

It's like time travel for Anambra Airport



You are the one blinded by politics and mediocrity

It is working and yet was leased out on concession at a shameful price

Asaba airport was a looting pipe for Uduaghan and Uche Okpuno

You clearly, obviously have mental problems. Else I don't see why you would tag my post to talk trash. How does the airport being leased out or it being a"looting pipe for Uduaghan and Uche Okpuno" relate to the points I raised. Go get yourself checked because you are clearly not okay.