Delta Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, on Sunday explained that the N7.5bn cost of the Asaba International Airport runway expansion[font=Lucida Sans Unicode][/font] was due to the intense work needed to make the topography of the area suitable.

In a statement by the governor’s Special Assistant Media, Paul Odili, Uduaghan made the clarification after the assessment of work at the runway project at the state airport in Asaba, the state capital.

Uduagham was quoted as saying that his critics on the project needed to seek clarification as the topography in the area allocated for the airport required the contractors to level a hill and fill up a river valley to achieve the prescribed standard that could secure approval for big aircraft operations by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

The contract for the levelling of the hilly part of the airport runway was said to have been awarded in 2011.

Uduaghan said the Asaba Airport had a huge role to play in the socio- economic development of the state.

He said, “We wanted to build an airport with a runway length of between 3.4 kilometres and four kilometres, but unfortunately, there is no terrain in Asaba that could give us such stretch of land.

“The topography here in Asaba is either made up of hills, low lands or rivers with adjoining valleys. We have to make do with what is available with serious heavy engineering work.”

The governor added that the expansion of the runway was necessitated by the need to accommodate bigger cargo planes.

He said the NCAA had made it clear that before approval could be given, the state had to demolish the hills in the area and sand-fill the river sides.

http://www.punchng.com/news/uduaghan-defends-cost-of-asaba-airport/

Spending so much to level a hill and fill up a river valley when so many citizens are hungry and homeless.

You dumb f. uck, nobody needs your explanation. This is your second term, complete it and leave. With all the money coming to the state and nothing to show. Edo state government is right beside you, showing to the world what a thief you are.

If you want to improve COMMERCIAL & ECONOMIC access to your area, do you invest in world class roads and rail so goods can be transported from the hinterland for export or do you spend billions on levelling an ant-hill for an airport that can take your private jet? Ask the Audience, 50/50 or phone a "cousin"

God dey

blink182: You dumb f. uck, nobody needs your explanation. This is your second term, complete it and leave. With all the money coming to the state and nothing to show. Edo state government is right beside you, showing to the world what a thief you are.

mu he he he, i like u jor

The latest installment of Think Africa Press 'This Week in Nigeria- 788 striking doctors sacked by Lagos, Gunmen murder Edo State governor’s aide, Cameroon bans pastor TB Joshua & much more! stay current, stay informed.

http://thinkafricapress.com/nigeria/blog/week-nigeria-788-striking-doctors-sacked-lagos-state

the bigger he makes the project look, the higher the take home.

Uduaghan! Uduaghan! Uduaghan!

How do you come up with such an assinine plan that only shows how clueless you are.
I tot the initial plan of asaba airport was to provide solution to commercial passenger flights to the capital? Now you are planning for large cargo planes!
To service who? D civil servants in asaba or the business people in onitsha across the Niger? What's the purpose of dredging the Niger then?
Do you think any international carrier in their right mind will land an A380 dreamliner or a 747 wide body in rural asaba with a barely digitalalised ATC sporting antiquated radder equipment of the 90's? Please delta state has three ports in warri, koko and sapele, invest a billion in each and you'll have solved a major unemployment problem in your state.
In case you have not noticed no sane country allows foreign carriers go to just any place within its borders. Instead they designate one or two major airports where foreign carriers land passengers/ goods are transported using local carriers into the hinterland. This is also purely economic . Go and think again before you waste your peoples money cos you clearly have no clue what to do with it.

How many planes fly to Asaba weekly that they are considering space for big planes? Why not improve other infrastructures that would help better the life of the masses first?

People from the Niger-Delta always complain that northerners want to rule nd squander their "oil money"....well I laugh out sooo damn loud cos its obvious we know who the real rogues in your land ar.....Ibori befor nd now Udu.....hmmm.....#7.5B naira

About 47 Billion Naira (and counting) has so far been spent on Asaba Airport, and when i convert that to Dollars i get close to $300 Million . Now can anyone honestly tell me they see close to $300 Million when looking at the Airport (including runway, landscaping, etc)?

Just last month Calloti posted a few pics of what she saw when passing through the Airport, and i was seething with rage to say the least . You know you're in an expensive world-class Airport costing about $300 Million when you're awe-struck by the architecture; impressed by the professional, courteous and well turned out staff; and when even the hi-tech toilets make a statement of intent (like at Heathrow T5 and other major Airports where i'm convinced they've used juju as a means of flushing their loos- you just have to move your finger close to the flush button without touching it, and it flushes like magic ).

The fact of the matter is that a large amount of the budget for the construction has gone into private pockets, and there's no escaping that truth when you look at what's on ground at the moment. I'm sure they could have found some Warri ex-militant boys to have levelled the hills and filled the valleys for 1/4 of the 7 Biilion quoted. I'm also sure some enterprising Igbo Businessmen across the Niger could have done it for much less as well with some Tippers, Dynamite and diggers.

This is what you get when you leave State politics in the hands of a mafia. The only reason he won the first time around was to cover Iboris arse, and not b'cos of his antecedents or intellectual/leadership skills.

Pics are Callotis'

Asaba Airport. Looks like a glorified warehouse!!!

If you check uduaghan's records in politics you will see a dull personality devoid of ideas and developmental wishes. He is a dummy and his case will be worst than his cousin's (ibori). Deltans are raining curses on him daily.

Whereas there are others like us who are praying for him too for his commitment towards job creation. God bless Uduaghan

Uduaghan is working,Delta State is moving, to God be the glory.

http://deltastate.com.ng/news-room/newsandevents/1225-delta-partners-chinese-firm-on-motor-assembly-plant.html

@UYCO: Responding to you would be an effort in futility as its obvious that your brains have gone on permanent vacation. This Asaba Airport is Uduaghan's Ajaokuta (a project specifically designed to aid the looting of the treasury). The man is an incompetent first class buffoon who has been below abysaml. This is only his latest act of stupidity.

Pukkah: Spending so much to level a hill and fill up a river valley when so many citizens are hungry and homeless.

This is where part of the money goes. see pic