The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has debunked the
claims by the National Chairman òf the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Adams Oshiomhole, that the Bayelsa International Airport was
flooded and was built at a cost of over N100 billion.
The governor said while speaking with journalists during an
inspection tour of the new airport, that the project was built at a
cost of less than N70billion by one of the best Engineering and
Construction firms in the country, Dantata and Sawoe.
He said that the sand filling of the airport project was
undertaken by another highly reputable firm, West Minister Dredging
International, which delivered after sustained work for over a
year.
The governor described the Bayelsa International Airport, which
has a 3.5 kilometer runway and equipped with some navigational
equipment and other facilities in the aviation sector, as among the
best in the country.
The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary,
Fidelis Soriwei, urged Bayelsans and Nigerians to ignore the lies
of a desperate political leadership of the AAPC which was out to
demarket the airport for obvious political reasons.
He urged the APC National Chairman, and other leaders of the
party to stop playing politics with the development of Bayelsa and
her people.
He said that it was a grievous sin for leaders of the APC who
had always played politics with the development of the Bayelsa and
the Ijaw people to come out to stifle the developmental efforts of
the government.
Dickson said that the airport had not been given its operational
license not because of lack of the needed facilities but for
reasons that have to do with the forthcoming gubernatorial election
in the state, scheduled for November 16, 2019
He urged the APC political leadership to refrain from the
deliberate attempt to frustrate the Airport project because of
assumed political benefits as the airport was meant not only to
serve the PDP or the APC but the entire Niger Delta and
Nigeria.
The Governor also called on the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority
and other regulatory agencies to adhere strictly to standard
practice in the sector by refusing to play unnecessary politics
with the critical project and issue the necessary approval for the
airport to commence the awaited operations.
He stressed that the last report from the regulatory bodies did
not raise any safety concern that should deprive the facility of
the requisite operation license as stated by the technical team
dealing with the bodies.
The Governor said that the state government would lead Bayelsans
and the Ijaw to commission the airport in December and put it to
use in the interest of òf the people.
He said that the cost of construction of the airport which is
less than N70 billion including acquisition, clearing,
sand-filling, construction, the terminal building, the fire bay,
the control tower and state-òf-the-art facilities and others was
not different from other airports in terrains better than that of
Bayelsa.
For instance, the proposed project cost for the Ido-Osun Airport
in the APC controlled Osun State as at October, 2017 was N69
billion.
He said: “We are here on a facility tour of our 3.5 km runway
airport, the Bayelsa International Airport and you can see that
contrary to the claim by the National Chairman and leaders of the
APC, the Airport is not flooded and will never be flooded.
“ I will like the entire state, the general public and the
entire country to know the height of propaganda that has been
bandied unfortunately around this wonderful project designed to
serve our people, the Ijaw nation and Nigerians.
“You are all on the runway with me right now. You have also seen
the height of the dredging which was done for over one year by West
Minster Dredging International according to international best
practices.
“I can understand for those who do not know the peculiar terrain
of this state; it is in this near impossible terrain that we have
delivered on this wonderful project critical to the development of
our people.
“What isn’t pardonable is that leaders of the APC, who had an
opportunity to do this several years ago, but would rather swindle
our people, deceive them and play 419 with them are out to
discredit it for political advantage.
“ We are not talking about that. We came here to work for our
people. I call on the people of Bayelsa and Ijaw nation to know
their true enemies and once again reject them at the polls on the
16th of this month.
The Project Manager of Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company,
Engr. Andrea Battistelli, said the 3.5 kilometre standard runway
was built to international standard to accommodate big airplanes
according to specifications adding that the airport is not prone to
flooding.
Also in his speech, Managing Director of the Bayelsa
International Airport, Mr. Jari Williams, noted that the runway has
the capacity to take Boeing 747 aircraft.
Subscribe ToNairalaw News!
Read more oshiomhole-lied-about-bayelsa-airport-says-dickson/
Sowore of
Sahara Reporters, AAC Presidential Candidate
No Person Has Come to Pick Sowore- DSS
Spokesperson
The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to confirm that it
has received the Court Order for the release of Omoyele SOWORE.
It is important that the public notes that since the receipt of
the Order, no person has turned up at the DSS to take delivery of
him. This becomes imperative for reasons of accountability.
However, the Court has been properly briefed on this development
and the steps being taken to ensure compliance with its Order.
The Service, under the leadership of Yusuf Magaji Bichi (fwc),
as the Director General, is not a lawless organization and will
never obstruct justice or disobey Court Orders. It, therefore,
affirms that it will do all that is needful once the appropriate
processes have been concluded.
Peter Afunanya, Ph.D
Public Relations Officer,
Department of State Services,
National Headquarters,
Abuja