On-federal-government-takeover-of-osubi-airstrip-near-warri-over-alleged-debt-mismanagement-a-worthy-development-that-needs-to-be-concluded
September 7, 2020 | News
ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF OSUBI AIRSTRIP NEAR WARRI OVER ALLEGED DEBT, MISMANAGEMENT – A WORTHY DEVELOPMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE CONCLUDED
For close to a decade now, we have persistently and consistently written to past and present Government Authorities and Officials at the Federal and State levels, requested on the need to upgrade the existing facilities/structure/runway of the Osubi Airstrip near Warri in Delta State, to a Standard Airport that can accommodate bigger aircrafts and more commercial patronage from airline operators; and the ‘takeover’ of the said airstrip by the Federal Government from its operators to effect this upgrade. We are glad that finally, our efforts and cry are beginning to pay off with recent reports that noted that the festering face-off between aviation service providers and management of Osubi Airport, in Warri, Delta State, has assumed a new dimension with the Federal Government’s approval of a takeover of the private purpose-built airstrip.
According to reports, the Federal Government, in a letter to all the aviation parastatals, terminated the contract of Shoreline Oil Services Limited, the operator of the airstrip, with immediate effect, citing incompetence. The Federal Ministry of Aviation Safety and Technical Policy Department, in a letter dated, February 7, 2020, and signed by its Director Captain T. Alkali, had directed the Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Director-General Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), to carry out the termination of Shoreline’s contract seamlessly.
The said Osubi Airstrip facility has been a subject of controversy since it changed hands from the original owner, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to Shoreline in partnership with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 2015. Let us recall that Shell (SPDC) opened the Osubi Airstrip facility in 1999, to enhance offshore operations. But with the momentarily down in oil exploration over a period, the airstrip was sold to Shoreline in 2015. The NAMA, in October 2018, had alleged that Shoreline owed over N500million for air navigation services since 2015. Shoreline described NAMA’s claim as ‘frivolous charges’, and an attempt to keep extorting its management. The Osubi airstrip was closed for about two months following NAMA’s withdrawal of air traffic controllers and embargo on aircraft to and from the facility. FAAN also withdrew safety-critical services from the airstrip in December 2018, over an alleged debt of N77million. Shoreline also debunked the claim, saying their operations were independent of FAAN’s support. NAMA recently gave a 30-day final demand notice to debtor airlines and private/state-owned airports to settle all outstanding debts owed to the agency. The demand notice, which expires on February 28, expects all debtors to settle their indebtedness or risk sanctions. Recall that the affected debtors had earlier been communicated with details of their respective indebtedness to NAMA, but have made no tangible effort to pay.
With the above summary, we bet that everyone would now understand why this call for a takeover of the Osubi airstrip by the Government, from the hands of Shoreline, is very important. For instance, just recently, the said Osubi Airstrip near Warri was observed to have no standby Generator, as Shoreline Petroleum Resources has proven not to have capacity and wherewithal to run/manage the airstrip, not to mention to upgrade/expand the said Airstrip to a Standard Airport with the required Run Way/tarmac and upgraded facilities. If a supposed Oil Company like Shoreline Petroleum Resources cannot maintain the generators of the Airstrip to power the place for the little flight operations there, then such a company is not fit to run/operate the said Osubi Airstrip.
The oil city of Warri remains the most viable commercial city in Delta, but it is without a Standard Airport. And from what has been explained, there is no need to build a new Airport, but it is just to upgrade and expand the runway/tarmac and upgrade the existing facilities of the Osubi Airstrip to a Standard Airport. The existing unused land in the said Airstrip is big enough to make it a standard and International Airport. This will not only make it one of the busiest Airports in the region if made functional with the required expansion, it will also automatically create jobs for the teeming youths in the oil city of Warri and environs. That is what made Dubai, London, New York, Tokyo, Beijing, etc. what they are today. Development is not wishful thinking but by taking concise actions.
Like we said before, big aircraft cannot land and take off in the Osubi-Warri Airstrip due to the small size of the tarmac/runway. The Osubi Airstrip is about 1,800meters as against the normal length of about 3,000meters for most (domestic) airports in Nigeria. The small length of the runway of Osubi Airstrip means that ‘only small aircrafts’ (not exceeding 50-passenger capacity such as the DASH or the Donier) can land and take off from the Airstrip. And since the Federal Government has now decided to take over the said Osubi Airstrip from Shoreline Petroleum Resources, then there is need for steps to be initiated as well to expand the runway/upgrade its facilities to make it a Standard Airport.
Zik Gbemre.
February 19, 2020
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
For close to a decade now, we have persistently and consistently written to past and present Government Authorities and Officials at the Federal and State levels, requested on the need to upgrade the existing facilities/structure/runway of the Osubi Airstrip near Warri in Delta State, to a Standard Airport that can accommodate bigger aircrafts and more commercial patronage from airline operators; and the ‘takeover’ of the said airstrip by the Federal Government from its operators to effect this upgrade. We are glad that finally, our efforts and cry are beginning to pay off with recent reports that noted that the festering face-off between aviation service providers and management of Osubi Airport, in Warri, Delta State, has assumed a new dimension with the Federal Government’s approval of a takeover of the private purpose-built airstrip.
According to reports, the Federal Government, in a letter to all the aviation parastatals, terminated the contract of Shoreline Oil Services Limited, the operator of the airstrip, with immediate effect, citing incompetence. The Federal Ministry of Aviation Safety and Technical Policy Department, in a letter dated, February 7, 2020, and signed by its Director Captain T. Alkali, had directed the Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Director-General Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), to carry out the termination of Shoreline’s contract seamlessly.
The said Osubi Airstrip facility has been a subject of controversy since it changed hands from the original owner, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to Shoreline in partnership with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 2015. Let us recall that Shell (SPDC) opened the Osubi Airstrip facility in 1999, to enhance offshore operations. But with the momentarily down in oil exploration over a period, the airstrip was sold to Shoreline in 2015. The NAMA, in October 2018, had alleged that Shoreline owed over N500million for air navigation services since 2015. Shoreline described NAMA’s claim as ‘frivolous charges’, and an attempt to keep extorting its management. The Osubi airstrip was closed for about two months following NAMA’s withdrawal of air traffic controllers and embargo on aircraft to and from the facility. FAAN also withdrew safety-critical services from the airstrip in December 2018, over an alleged debt of N77million. Shoreline also debunked the claim, saying their operations were independent of FAAN’s support. NAMA recently gave a 30-day final demand notice to debtor airlines and private/state-owned airports to settle all outstanding debts owed to the agency. The demand notice, which expires on February 28, expects all debtors to settle their indebtedness or risk sanctions. Recall that the affected debtors had earlier been communicated with details of their respective indebtedness to NAMA, but have made no tangible effort to pay.
With the above summary, we bet that everyone would now understand why this call for a takeover of the Osubi airstrip by the Government, from the hands of Shoreline, is very important. For instance, just recently, the said Osubi Airstrip near Warri was observed to have no standby Generator, as Shoreline Petroleum Resources has proven not to have capacity and wherewithal to run/manage the airstrip, not to mention to upgrade/expand the said Airstrip to a Standard Airport with the required Run Way/tarmac and upgraded facilities. If a supposed Oil Company like Shoreline Petroleum Resources cannot maintain the generators of the Airstrip to power the place for the little flight operations there, then such a company is not fit to run/operate the said Osubi Airstrip.
The oil city of Warri remains the most viable commercial city in Delta, but it is without a Standard Airport. And from what has been explained, there is no need to build a new Airport, but it is just to upgrade and expand the runway/tarmac and upgrade the existing facilities of the Osubi Airstrip to a Standard Airport. The existing unused land in the said Airstrip is big enough to make it a standard and International Airport. This will not only make it one of the busiest Airports in the region if made functional with the required expansion, it will also automatically create jobs for the teeming youths in the oil city of Warri and environs. That is what made Dubai, London, New York, Tokyo, Beijing, etc. what they are today. Development is not wishful thinking but by taking concise actions.
Like we said before, big aircraft cannot land and take off in the Osubi-Warri Airstrip due to the small size of the tarmac/runway. The Osubi Airstrip is about 1,800meters as against the normal length of about 3,000meters for most (domestic) airports in Nigeria. The small length of the runway of Osubi Airstrip means that ‘only small aircrafts’ (not exceeding 50-passenger capacity such as the DASH or the Donier) can land and take off from the Airstrip. And since the Federal Government has now decided to take over the said Osubi Airstrip from Shoreline Petroleum Resources, then there is need for steps to be initiated as well to expand the runway/upgrade its facilities to make it a Standard Airport.
Zik Gbemre.
February 19, 2020
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes