ON THE UPGRADE/EXPANSION/FUNCTIONALITY OF THE OSUBI AIRSTRIP – FESTUS KEYAMO, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNOR OKOWA ARE YET TO ACT ACCORDINGLY
December 23, 2020 | News
It was about more than a month ago that the Hon. Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Chief Festus Keyamo (SAN), promised all Stakeholders and people of Delta State at the South-South Stakeholders meeting with the Representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Port Harcourt, that the all-important Osubi Airstrip near the oil city of Warri, will function in a few weeks time.
ON THE UPGRADE/EXPANSION/FUNCTIONALITY OF THE OSUBI AIRSTRIP – FESTUS KEYAMO, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNOR OKOWA ARE YET TO ACT ACCORDINGLY
It was about more than a month ago that the Hon. Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Chief Festus Keyamo (SAN), promised all Stakeholders and people of Delta State at the South-South Stakeholders meeting with the Representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Port Harcourt, that the all-important Osubi Airstrip near the oil city of Warri, will function in a few weeks time. But up till now, the same Osubi Airstrip is still under lock and key. What exactly should we call this?
Looking at the full text of remarks by Chief Festus Keyamo at the said South-South Stakeholders meeting, he said, pertaining to the Osubi Airstrip situation, that: “Shoreline that was managing the Warri Airport could not pay up all its bills to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), so the Federal Government had to terminate their Operatorship of the Airstrip and take over the Warri Airstrip, and some of us pursued it here and credit must be given to the Minister of Petroleum and myself because we pursued it all the way. A proposal has been written to the Federal Government for the Ministry of Petroleum to take over the Warri Airport and the President has approved that. THEY ARE WORKING ON IT NOW AND IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE WARRI OSUBI AIRPORT WILL BECOME FUNCTIONAL AGAIN.”
That was more than four weeks ago, yet there is no iota of activity to suggest that the said Osubi Airstrip will soon re-open and be functional again. Let us also recall that, despite reports in February 2020, that due to the festering face-off between aviation service providers and the management of Osubi Airport, in Warri, Delta State, the Federal Government had approved of a takeover of the private purpose-built airstrip. But as we can see, up till now, the said Osubi Airstrip has remained not functional. Thereby, forcing flight passengers to drive/travel/commute the already bad expressway from Warri to Benin in Edo State, just to get a flight to Lagos and Abuja. So, all that ‘sweet talks’ by Festus Keyamo has held no water and cannot be trusted.
I would be correct to say that, it is apparent that Festus Keyamo was used by President Muhammadu Buhari to deceive his own people with such ‘empty promises’. But Festus Keyamo and others who have a hand in all of this, should realize that there is life after the government and that whatever seeds they sow today while in government, they will surely reap them in full measure. Festus Keyamo should also remember that his speech at the stated South-South Stakeholders meeting in Port-Harcourt, is printed in black and white and is permanently online.
As I write this, the Osubi Warri Airstrip is not functional, and there is nothing to suggest that the airstrip is being upgraded and expanded as planned, so that people from Warri and environs do not have to drive/travel all the way to Asaba or Benin or Port-Harcourt, just to catch a flight.
The major work that is required of the Government here is to ‘increase the size of the Osubi Airstrip runway/tarmac’ so that large aircraft can land and take off at the Osubi-Warri Airstrip that will be turned into a standard Airport. This will result in economies of scale, reduce airfares and increase the number of flights and passengers. The Osubi Airstrip is just too strategically located not to be functioning as it ought to. There are sensitive oil and gas assets and operations in Warri and environs like the Shell (SPDC) Forcados Terminal, the Warri Refinery and Petro-Chemical, Naval Base, Army Barracks, Air Force Base, Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), Delta Steel Company (DSC), Ughelli Pump Station (UPS), Delta Power Station, Ughelli Power Stations, Ogorode Power Station, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Chevron Escravos Tank Farm and Terminal, all branches of Nigerian Commercial banks in Effurun/Warri, Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE) Petroleum Training Institute(PTI), the Utorogu Gas Plant Phase 1, Utorogu Gas Plant Phase 2 (Utorogu NAG-2), and the Utorogu Gas Plant Phase 3 (Utorogu NAG 3),etc, all of which make these areas very ‘active with business, commercial activities’ and movement of people by air.
The Osubi Airstrip is just about 1,800meters as against the normal length of about 3,000meters for most (domestic) standard airports in Nigeria. For example, the length of the runway of the Benin Airport is 3,609 meters, which is twice the length of the Osubi Airstrip runway/tarmac. 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 decided to terminate the Operatorship, and take over the said Osubi Warri Airstrip from Shoreline Energy, then there is the need for prompt steps to be initiated by the Delta State Government led by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa as well to expand the runway/upgrade its facilities to make it a functional Standard Airport for flight passengers in the Oil city of Warri and environs.
The land for the said expansion is already there, as acquired by Shell (SPDC), for the Federal and Delta State Government to use for the Airport’s expansion/upgrade to a standard airport. So, the Buhari-led administration and the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led Delta State Government really do not have any excuse not to embark on this all-important project.
I recall that in a published interview of Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, with Sunday Aborisade and Theophilus Onojeghen on Sunday Punch some few years back, when he was asked why he stopped work on the Osubi Airstrip as left by his predecessor, the Delta State Governor said that the reason why his administration has abandoned the idea of continuing work on the Osubi Airstrip runway/expansion project, is that “somebody else had succeeded in buying off the airport”, hence doing the project means they will be doing it for someone else. And that the State Government was supposedly denied approval for a second airport adjacent to the existing one in Osubi. But now that the Federal Government has terminated the operatorship of the Osubi-Warri airstrip by Shoreline Energy, then Governor Okowa really has no excuse, neither can he escape from embarking on the planned expansion and upgrade of the Osubi-Warri Airstrip to a Standard Airport.
I also wonder why our Nigerian politicians are playing politics with the lives of their own people for the sake of power? How are these politicians: Festus Keyamo, Ovie Omo-Agege, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Sheriff Oborevwori, comfortable with the non-functionality of the Osubi- Warri Airstrip all this while? It is also a big shame on former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for not being able to upgrade and expand the Osubi-Warri Airstrip to a standard Airport because of his selfish interests. Uduaghan was reportedly the one who used Shoreline Energy as a FRONT to buy/take over the Osubi Warri Airstrip when Shell (SPDC) Divested their Assets in Delta State. Uduaghan started some work on the Expansion of the Osubi Warri Airport and abandoned it after using the project to loot some billions of Naira. But he abandoned that upgrade and expansion project as he was about to exit from Office. What is Uduaghan going to do with all of this stolen public money? Is Uduaghan going to live forever? I pity the Nigerian politicians who think they will live forever. However, now that Okowa has been on board, he really has no further excuse to abandon this all-important upgrade and expansion Osubi-Warri project.
As for President Buhari, he evidently does not care about the wellbeing of Nigerians and the South South of the Niger-Delta people. His own concern has always been having political power and using that privileged Office to favour his own close associates and clueless/incompetent people.
I am therefore calling on Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Sheriff Oborevwori, Festus Keyamo, to tell President Buhari and Governor Okowa to do all that is necessary in ensuring that the Osubi-Warri Airstrip is restored fully functional again, having been upgraded and expanded to accommodate bigger aircrafts. The land is available there for the said expansion of the Osubi-Warri Airstrip like I said before, so I really do not see what is the challenge now. I have been on this Osubi-Warri Airstrip upgrade and expansion project issue since 2003. Keep wondering, how do you develop a country without some of these basic infrastructure like an Airport in strategic locations? President Buhari and Governor Okowa should go into action for this project to become a reality. Development is not mere wishful thinking and politicians talking with double tongue to deceive the people. As I write this, the entire area of the Osubi-Warri Airstrip is overgrown with trees/bushes. This is not a good development.
Zik Gbemre.
December 23, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
It was about more than a month ago that the Hon. Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Chief Festus Keyamo (SAN), promised all Stakeholders and people of Delta State at the South-South Stakeholders meeting with the Representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Port Harcourt, that the all-important Osubi Airstrip near the oil city of Warri, will function in a few weeks time. But up till now, the same Osubi Airstrip is still under lock and key. What exactly should we call this?
Looking at the full text of remarks by Chief Festus Keyamo at the said South-South Stakeholders meeting, he said, pertaining to the Osubi Airstrip situation, that: “Shoreline that was managing the Warri Airport could not pay up all its bills to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), so the Federal Government had to terminate their Operatorship of the Airstrip and take over the Warri Airstrip, and some of us pursued it here and credit must be given to the Minister of Petroleum and myself because we pursued it all the way. A proposal has been written to the Federal Government for the Ministry of Petroleum to take over the Warri Airport and the President has approved that. THEY ARE WORKING ON IT NOW AND IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE WARRI OSUBI AIRPORT WILL BECOME FUNCTIONAL AGAIN.”
That was more than four weeks ago, yet there is no iota of activity to suggest that the said Osubi Airstrip will soon re-open and be functional again. Let us also recall that, despite reports in February 2020, that due to the festering face-off between aviation service providers and the management of Osubi Airport, in Warri, Delta State, the Federal Government had approved of a takeover of the private purpose-built airstrip. But as we can see, up till now, the said Osubi Airstrip has remained not functional. Thereby, forcing flight passengers to drive/travel/commute the already bad expressway from Warri to Benin in Edo State, just to get a flight to Lagos and Abuja. So, all that ‘sweet talks’ by Festus Keyamo has held no water and cannot be trusted.
I would be correct to say that, it is apparent that Festus Keyamo was used by President Muhammadu Buhari to deceive his own people with such ‘empty promises’. But Festus Keyamo and others who have a hand in all of this, should realize that there is life after the government and that whatever seeds they sow today while in government, they will surely reap them in full measure. Festus Keyamo should also remember that his speech at the stated South-South Stakeholders meeting in Port-Harcourt, is printed in black and white and is permanently online.
As I write this, the Osubi Warri Airstrip is not functional, and there is nothing to suggest that the airstrip is being upgraded and expanded as planned, so that people from Warri and environs do not have to drive/travel all the way to Asaba or Benin or Port-Harcourt, just to catch a flight.
The major work that is required of the Government here is to ‘increase the size of the Osubi Airstrip runway/tarmac’ so that large aircraft can land and take off at the Osubi-Warri Airstrip that will be turned into a standard Airport. This will result in economies of scale, reduce airfares and increase the number of flights and passengers. The Osubi Airstrip is just too strategically located not to be functioning as it ought to. There are sensitive oil and gas assets and operations in Warri and environs like the Shell (SPDC) Forcados Terminal, the Warri Refinery and Petro-Chemical, Naval Base, Army Barracks, Air Force Base, Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), Delta Steel Company (DSC), Ughelli Pump Station (UPS), Delta Power Station, Ughelli Power Stations, Ogorode Power Station, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Chevron Escravos Tank Farm and Terminal, all branches of Nigerian Commercial banks in Effurun/Warri, Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE) Petroleum Training Institute(PTI), the Utorogu Gas Plant Phase 1, Utorogu Gas Plant Phase 2 (Utorogu NAG-2), and the Utorogu Gas Plant Phase 3 (Utorogu NAG 3),etc, all of which make these areas very ‘active with business, commercial activities’ and movement of people by air.
The Osubi Airstrip is just about 1,800meters as against the normal length of about 3,000meters for most (domestic) standard airports in Nigeria. For example, the length of the runway of the Benin Airport is 3,609 meters, which is twice the length of the Osubi Airstrip runway/tarmac. 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 decided to terminate the Operatorship, and take over the said Osubi Warri Airstrip from Shoreline Energy, then there is the need for prompt steps to be initiated by the Delta State Government led by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa as well to expand the runway/upgrade its facilities to make it a functional Standard Airport for flight passengers in the Oil city of Warri and environs.
The land for the said expansion is already there, as acquired by Shell (SPDC), for the Federal and Delta State Government to use for the Airport’s expansion/upgrade to a standard airport. So, the Buhari-led administration and the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led Delta State Government really do not have any excuse not to embark on this all-important project.
I recall that in a published interview of Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, with Sunday Aborisade and Theophilus Onojeghen on Sunday Punch some few years back, when he was asked why he stopped work on the Osubi Airstrip as left by his predecessor, the Delta State Governor said that the reason why his administration has abandoned the idea of continuing work on the Osubi Airstrip runway/expansion project, is that “somebody else had succeeded in buying off the airport”, hence doing the project means they will be doing it for someone else. And that the State Government was supposedly denied approval for a second airport adjacent to the existing one in Osubi. But now that the Federal Government has terminated the operatorship of the Osubi-Warri airstrip by Shoreline Energy, then Governor Okowa really has no excuse, neither can he escape from embarking on the planned expansion and upgrade of the Osubi-Warri Airstrip to a Standard Airport.
I also wonder why our Nigerian politicians are playing politics with the lives of their own people for the sake of power? How are these politicians: Festus Keyamo, Ovie Omo-Agege, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Sheriff Oborevwori, comfortable with the non-functionality of the Osubi- Warri Airstrip all this while? It is also a big shame on former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for not being able to upgrade and expand the Osubi-Warri Airstrip to a standard Airport because of his selfish interests. Uduaghan was reportedly the one who used Shoreline Energy as a FRONT to buy/take over the Osubi Warri Airstrip when Shell (SPDC) Divested their Assets in Delta State. Uduaghan started some work on the Expansion of the Osubi Warri Airport and abandoned it after using the project to loot some billions of Naira. But he abandoned that upgrade and expansion project as he was about to exit from Office. What is Uduaghan going to do with all of this stolen public money? Is Uduaghan going to live forever? I pity the Nigerian politicians who think they will live forever. However, now that Okowa has been on board, he really has no further excuse to abandon this all-important upgrade and expansion Osubi-Warri project.
As for President Buhari, he evidently does not care about the wellbeing of Nigerians and the South South of the Niger-Delta people. His own concern has always been having political power and using that privileged Office to favour his own close associates and clueless/incompetent people.
I am therefore calling on Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Sheriff Oborevwori, Festus Keyamo, to tell President Buhari and Governor Okowa to do all that is necessary in ensuring that the Osubi-Warri Airstrip is restored fully functional again, having been upgraded and expanded to accommodate bigger aircrafts. The land is available there for the said expansion of the Osubi-Warri Airstrip like I said before, so I really do not see what is the challenge now. I have been on this Osubi-Warri Airstrip upgrade and expansion project issue since 2003. Keep wondering, how do you develop a country without some of these basic infrastructure like an Airport in strategic locations? President Buhari and Governor Okowa should go into action for this project to become a reality. Development is not mere wishful thinking and politicians talking with double tongue to deceive the people. As I write this, the entire area of the Osubi-Warri Airstrip is overgrown with trees/bushes. This is not a good development.
Zik Gbemre.
December 23, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes