₦airaland Forum

Four months after missing its completion target of April 11, 2020, OKECHUKWU OBETA asks whether Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State can deliver on the state’s $2billion Airport City Project at Ivite Umueri, Anambra-East local government area before he leaves office in March 2022?


Of the 36 states of the federation, Anambra is rated as being the lead In the league of states without a functioning airport or airstrip.

It is against this backdrop that many stakeholders and prominent natives of the state are eager to see if Governor Obiano can make the project a parting gift to the state at the expiration of his second term in office.

The completion and handover date slated for the project is now four months behind schedule. When Obiano flagged off the construction of the airport on April 11, 2017, he had announced that it would be completed in 36 months.

By that calculation, Obiano had hoped that by April 11, 2020, he would be handing over a new airport city comparable to those in advanced countries to the people of the state.

A boisterous Obiano had expressed this optimism on that historic day as he had said: “What we are flagging off today is an Airport City Project with a model that will accommodate an airport with two runways, an aviation fuel dump, an airport hotel, an industrial business park, an international convention centre, as well as, a facility for aircraft maintenance.

The Umueri airport city project is conceived to join some of the most advanced airports in the world with a capacity to land any of the most sophisticated aircraft known to man today.”

A massive land was allocated to accommodate all the specified facilities. Governor Obiano also stated this much in his speech that “it (airport city project) sits on 1,500 hectares of land with enough elbowroom for expansion from Ivite Umueri to the neighbouring communities such as Nando, Umunya, Otuocha, Aguleri, Nteje, Nsugbe and beyond.

The project is estimated to cost over $2billion. It is a partnership between the government of Anambra State, Orient Resources Limited and Elite International Investments Limited (Snoking Enterprises Limited). Under the contractual agreement, Elite International Investments Limited will provide all the funds needed for the project under the Build- Operate-Manage-and-Transfer arrangement.

However, under the same SPV arrangement, the Anambra Airport City Infrastructure Limited allocated 75 per cent equity stake to Elite International Investments Limited, 20 per cent to Orient Petroleum Resources Limited and five per cent to the of Anambra State government. The host communities are entitled to three per cent of the profit from the project in perpetuity as a part of the standard corporate responsibility. Indeed, the economic benefits of the Umueri Airport Project are enormous.”

Certainly, what is agitating the minds of not only a few stakeholders about the project is not just its failed completion over four months after the set date, more intriguing, however, is that the government seems to have declared the airport site a “no-go-area” to everybody including newsmen.

The state government officials are also being economical in responding to inquiries about the project.

The commissioner for Works, Mr. Marcel Ifejiofor and his Information and Public Enlightenment counterpart, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, even alluded to this seeming placement of embargo on giving information to the public about the project by the state government when this reporter on Thursday, August 5, 2020, contacted them on their mobile phones separately and requested for an update on the project.

Ifejiofor said: ‘Don’t go there (airport city project site). There is no update now. At the appropriate time, we will let you know. There is no more comment from me for now.”

Also, Adinuba simply stated: “Construction work is moving at a terrific speed, morning and night, seven days in a week without a single bank loan. What we plan to do is to surprise the world. I won’t make comment beyond this.”

About a month ago, four journalists in the state, including David-Chyddy Eleke of Thisday, Titus Eleweke of Daily Trust and Chimezie Anaso of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) returned with tales of woes when they attempted to go to the airport city project site to inspect the progress of work there.

They said that on arrival at the precincts of the project site, they placed a call to the mobile telephone of Ifejiofor to alert him that they were there to do an inspection of construction work on the project to enable them report same.

They said that immediately the commissioner received the call he had expressed worry over their safety at the place and warned them to leave there immediately.

They stated that the commissioner even confirmed to them that he was at the project site at the time, but warned them to leave the place without further delay for their safety, adding that even though he was at the site, he would not permit them to enter the premises.

They claimed that Ifejiofor furiously asked them “who told you to come here? Nobody is allowed to come to this place o. I’m even inside the project site now, but, I can’t permit you to come in. Just leave that place now in the interest of your lives. Come to my office in Awka when I come back.”

Eleke and co narrated that they later went to see the commissioner in his office in Awka, as he directed. But rather than give them an update on the project as they hoped, Mr. Ifejiofor tongue-lashed them for attempting to go to the site to do a report.

“Never you go there again, otherwise, whatever happens to you there you are on your own”, they alleged. The journalists stated that thereafter Ifejiofor ordered them to leave his office; that he would not tell them anything about the project until the “appropriate time”.

Governor Obiano had kicked off the construction of the Airport City Project in the build-up to his re-election campaigns in 2017.

And shortly after the exercise, a lot of controversy dogged the project, especially from members of the opposition parties. The criticisms included that the Chinese company to which the project was awarded, Sinoking Investments Enterprises Limited was a fake firm, and, that the sum of about $2.2 billion for which the contract was awarded was not only bogus, but was intended by the governor to siphon the state funds.

For instance, a former aviation minister, Chief Osita Chidoka had described the project as a white elephant one and that the cost was unrealistic. He argued that the state did not need such a big airport as according to him, the federal government spent $500million to build four terminals.

Chidoka argued: “How can the the federal government borrow $400million from China and put $100million to build four terminals with a repayment of $12.5 million every quarter. And Anambra State government alone invited the Chinese to build an airport for $2.2billion. How much did Lagos International Airport cost us? What we should do is to build a small airport and grow it organically. An Airport is a runway, not a terminal building or cargo shed.”

Chidoka who was also a former corps marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission further argued that what the state required was to put in place basic facilities that would grow forces of market in aviation business.

He said: “The basic infrastructure we (Anambra State) have to put in place is the runway and landing gear.nThe whole passenger flow in Nigeria’s airport is between five and six million passengers annually. What will be the share of Anambra from that traffic? “Heathrow Airport grew from terminal one to terminal two, and, now terminal five.

There is no traffic study for the proposed (Anambra Airport City Project); no passengers’ data too. They said it will be a cargo airport and fuel dump. Where is the fuel and refining capacity for the Jet A1 here? Let us come down from this high horse. There is no five-star hotel in the whole of the South East zone because the economy has not supported it. Why then telling us then that you want to build a five-star hotel in Umueri Airport?” Chidoka asked.

He was then a governorship candidate of the United Progressives Party (UPP) in during the 2017 gubernatorial election in the state.

There was even claims then that because the federal government did not approve the project, when it impounded a drone brought into the site by the contractor.

Notwithstanding the few dissenting voices against the airport project, some experts,

however, described it as a lofty one. For instance, Mr. Joshua Nkemdichie, an engineer described the project as a clear demonstration of rare foresightedness on the part of Governor Obiano administration.

He said: “This is what it means to have foresight. What Governor Obiano is about to do for his state is such that Anambra will be a reference point for anyone who travels by air in Nigeria.

Before take-off from any airport in Nigeria, planes that are taking off in airports where there is shortage of aviation fuel can just fly down to Anambra airport and refuel. If they notice any fault in the planes, they can also fly down to Anambra and have their aircraft checked before they continue their journey.

What Obiano will do with this project is to put Anambra in the map as far as the aviation industry is concerned.”

Sounding like the proverbial Igbo lizard that fell from the Iroko tree, and, after looking right and left to see if anybody would commend his feat, and, didn’t see, nodded his head in commendation of himself of having achieved a great feat, Governor Obiano had on the day he flagged off the airport city project for construction beat his chest and said that his administration had done well for the state so far. Obiano recounted “Three years into my first term in office, I stand before you today to answer the call of history.

In Christian numerology, the number 3 is the number of perfect manifestation. So, three years into my administration, the Lord God Almighty has given us a new vision and a new song! Umu nnem, our elders say that na Ugo gbuzuo,ochakee! Anambra State has finally hit the bend in the river, and, our famous can-do spirit has now taken over.

“From now on, we have nothing more to fear! Nothing! Not even ourselves…The historic ceremony we have gathered to perform here today is very important step in expanding the frontiers of excellence in Anambra state! Indeed, it is important to note that my Team and I have got a few things right in the past three years”, Obiano said further apparently also referring to the Airport City Project he was then about to flag off its construction.

Obiano expressed optimism that the Airport City Project was properly designed to improve the economy of the state.

He said: “As you are aware, my administration is intensely focused on building projects that have economic values. …This Airport City project follows the same trajectory. That is why we have established a strong synergy between Orient Petroleum Resources Plc and the Airport project with a view to operating an Aviation Fuel Segment that will attract both local and foreign airlines to refuel their aircraft in Umueri”.

Though, the Airport City Project site has been declared out of bound to members of the public, sources close to the site say that construction work is really going on at a very high speed day and night.

They say that Obiano was not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that the project was realised before his exit as governor of the state, even, if it meant sinking every available fund of the state into the project. Most observers were of the view that Governor Obiano perhaps wants to hand over the as his administration’s parting gift to the people of the state at the twilight of his administration.

Chidoka argued: “How can the the federal government borrow $400million from China and put $100million to build four terminals with a repayment of $12.5 million every quarter. And Anambra State government alone invited the Chinese to build an airport for $2.2billion. How much did Lagos International Airport cost us? What we should do is to build a small airport and grow it organically. An Airport is a runway, not a terminal building or cargo shed.”

totit:
The key message ;

stanluiz:
There's no way that airport will cost $2.2 billions dollars.

Oct 8, 2019

The Newest U.S. Airport Will Open Thursday In A North Dakota Oil Boomtown

The new airport cost $273 million, financed with $106 million from the FAA, $55 million from the state and $112 million from bonds supported by airport revenue.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2019/10/08/the-newest-us-airport-will-open-thursday-in-north-dakota-the-old-one-had-a-flawed-runway/#35e6e9cd4ef4

proeast:
This is gradually becoming the more you look, the less you see. Obiano must not leave office without completing that airport. Even the Orient modular refinery too, nothing is being heard about it again.

totit:
The key message ;

leicestercamper:
[s]All you know is spewing nonsense all the time out of feigning of ignorance. You always pretend as though you are pro igbo but always stealthily throw jabs, but when you are matched to your game you dodge under the guise of being pro igbo.

I am very sure you have seen alot of updates about the airport on this site but always avoid the thread, only to jump into a propaganda thread as this to spew nonsense as usual.

Face your useless Imo state and your 419 incompetent supreme court governor, if you don't know anything about other states particularly Anambra then don't comment on it's thread.
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proeast:
As an Igbo man I have every right to comment about Anambra, especially on issues that will bring development to Igboland and there is nothing you can do about it.

Every Igbo person regardless of state affiliation always comdemn the governors of Abia state for not living up to expectations without Abians attacking them, but whenever people raise issues of concern about Anambra, you will start saying nonsense.

Iwekwara ako n'uche??

proeast:
As an Igbo man I have every right to comment about Anambra, especially on issues that will bring development to Igboland and there is nothing you can do about it.

Every Igbo person regardless of state affiliation always comdemn the governors of Abia state for not living up to expectations without Abians attacking them, but whenever people raise issues of concern about Anambra, you will start saying nonsense.

Iwekwara ako n'uche??

leicestercamper:
[s]You are very stupid. You are stupid because you don't have to discuss issues you don't know about.

You obviously do not know anything about the airport project but you are bent on discussing it. It is only a mad man that dabbles into a subject he knows nothing.

There has been updates recently on this site and they all made front page, you cannot swear that you never saw them, but you will stupidly spew nonsense in a thread opened by the people you usually term enemies of igbos.

Like I said face your useless Imo state since it appears you don't know anything about the airport or you are feigning ignorance. [/s]


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