State gov. allocates over ₦53bn for airport project, runway repairs amid poverty
The establishment of the Muhammadu Buhari (now Chuba Okadigbo) International Airport, located in Onueke in the Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria, has sparked debate among both economic and non-economic experts.
Controversies surround the airport’s economic viability, the expenditure of the ₦10 billion approved for the project by the Federal Government during Buhari’s administration, the widely reported ₦36 billion spent on its construction, the identity of the contractors involved, and the proposed ₦13 billion budgeted by the current state government under Governor Francis Nwifuru for runway repairs.
Prior to the airport’s construction, the Umahi-led state government demolished approximately 200 houses in the area, displacing over 800 residents, including the elderly and nursing mothers. Investigations by newsmen revealed that many homeowners received no compensation, while a few who were compensated received paltry amounts ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦400,000.
Today, amidst the suffering and hardship faced by residents of Ebonyi State, the airport, which was intended to be a revenue-generating enterprise, lies economically dormant and inactive, draining the limited resources of the struggling state.
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On Thursday, April 26, 2023, the Ebonyi Airport was inaugurated with two inaugural flights (Air Peace Hopper 5N-BXF and 5-BUY) landing at the facility. It was on this day that former Governor David Umahi named the airport after former President Muhammadu Buhari. However, between April and September 2023, reports indicated that the runway had already deteriorated, and the airport has reportedly not generated any revenue for the state government, which is in urgent need of financial development.
As a result, stakeholders, along with economic and aviation experts, have raised questions about the project’s establishment and its benefits to the community. Umahi had announced in April that the airport cost the state a staggering ₦36 billion to construct. Adding to the concerns, Governor Francis Nwifuru disclosed last month that he would be spending over ₦13 billion to rehabilitate the already crumbling runway.
Stakeholders have expressed dismay and reluctance over the project, claiming it is anti-people and a conduit for economic sabotage.
Defending the approval of ₦13.7 billion for the rehabilitation of the airport runway, despite its recent inauguration, Governor Nwifuru stated during a media chat marking Nigeria’s 63rd Independence celebration and the 27th anniversary of the state’s creation that the airport should operate optimally, considering the substantial amount of money spent on its construction.
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He said, “The question regarding the huge cost of rehabilitating the airport should be raised by every concerned Ebonyi citizen. A fellow governor recently asked me the same question, and I maintained that the initiators of the airport had good intentions. However, they did not get the runway right, as it is not smooth enough for aircraft to land.”
Noting that this issue has caused problems for several planes and led many to avoid landing at the facility, Nwifuru added, “We initially thought the problem was with the runway’s expansion joints and decided to close them. The issue persisted even after the joints were closed. We then contacted the Federal Ministry of Aviation, which outlined the necessary processes for the facility’s rehabilitation.”
Meanwhile, the state government has stated that the Federal Government is eager to take over the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport, which was commissioned in May 2023.
The Commissioner for Aviation Technology, Dr. Ngozi Obichukwu, recently expressed satisfaction with the progress at the airport, announcing that it would be ready for use before the end of August 2024. She stated, “The runway of Chuba Okadigbo Airport is about 90 percent completed, with approximately 500 meters remaining to finish it. The expatriate contractors are doing a very good job. Work has been ongoing to ensure we meet the completion deadline in May, and we are hopeful to commence flight operations by August.”
On Tuesday, she also mentioned that the state government had completed the resurfacing of the runway from concrete to asphalt to make it operational and more comfortable for airline operators.
However, a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State, Barr. Silas Onu, has described the airport as ill-conceived, labeling it a “white elephant” project. Onu argued that a forward-thinking governor should have prioritized massive industrialization of the state, given that agriculture is its main economic base.
He added that the project was a significant waste for the state, having not provided any economic value to its citizens.
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Onu, who was the PDP candidate in the February 2024 bye-election for the Ebonyi South senatorial district, stated, “As an opening remark, I would like to point out that the airport was built and commissioned as a completed project by the immediate past governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi. The commissioning was widely publicized with the landing of an Air Peace aircraft. I doubt any other plane has landed at the airport since its official opening. Therefore, I was personally shocked and taken aback when the newly sworn-in Governor Nwifuru began spending billions on this unused airport for what he termed ‘rehabilitation’ or ‘renovation.’ Regardless of the term, there was absolutely no need for further unnecessary spending on what has now become a white elephant project.”
“The concept of an airport in Abakaliki is ill-conceived, as the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu has not been utilized to its full capacity and can serve Ebonyi State and beyond. What is largely needed in Ebonyi State is massive industrialization, as we are a 100 percent non-oil-based economy. Agriculture is our main economic base, and investing in industries that enhance the value of our products would have a significant impact on the lives of our people.
“This airport has only occupied space that could have been used for better purposes, and the billions invested in it cannot be considered a wise expenditure—this is an ego-driven project that adds no value whatsoever to the people of Ebonyi State.
“A pertinent question to ask at this juncture is: How well has our economy fared with the EBOTRANS business? Has it elevated the state to a top road transportation service provider in Nigeria? This leads us to consider your next question.”
In a related development, the immediate past Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state and a social media influencer, Comrade Chika Nwoba, expressed his displeasure with the airport project, stating that it serves as a mere conduit for the perpetuation of financial malfeasance.
He alleged that the former governor of the state and current Minister of Works, Engr. Umahi, ‘packaged’ the project as a façade to deceive the masses and thereby misappropriate their collective patrimony.
He said, “Well, I was one of the supporters of the establishment of that airport, bearing in mind that what the governor at that time said it would be was actually what it was supposed to become. However, events began to unfold that portrayed the project as a mere conduit through which financial malfeasance could be carried out. I began to lose interest when the governor commissioned it while it was still largely a work in progress.
“He just packaged it for public acclaim. I visited the airport, and what I saw was, to a large extent, beautiful nonsense. At that point, it was reported to have cost over ₦40 billion. It was then that I started to see it as a means for the now-outgoing governor and his cronies to make money. I lost interest.
“When the current governor assumed office and immediately allocated nearly as much as they claimed was spent on the project, I became even more aggravated. Many others also expressed their disenchantment over the issue. People thought everything concerning the airport had been taken care of, which is why it was commissioned.”
For the All Progressives Grand Alliance senatorial candidate in the February 2024 re-run for Ebonyi South District, Sir Ifeanyi Eleje, he insisted that Ebonyi State didn’t currently need an airport, stating, “No, I don’t think an airport is a priority need for the state.”
Aviation expert Anthony Awunor noted that the state government should have considered several key factors before embarking on the airport project, observing that of the 22 airports in the country, only three are operational and functional.
Awunor said, “From the records I have, establishing an airport is very capital intensive. Despite this, many state governments still develop a voracious desire to set one up.
“Unfortunately, these airports often turn out to be white elephant projects because they cannot sustain them in the long run. Beyond the initial setup, maintenance has always been another significant challenge. Building a 3-kilometer runway is no small feat, and a functional airport requires permanent technical and administrative personnel who must work to sustain the cost of their existence, even if they are not generating revenue.”
“It is on record that only three out of 22 airports under its management are profitable, and these three airports also handle the highest traffic figures. How, then, is the airport business so attractive to state governments?”
Meanwhile, a socio-political group, the Igbo National Council (INC), has threatened to drag the Ebonyi State government to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the airport project.
The group alleged that the contract award process, approvals, and implementation of the project were fraught with corruption and called on the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to review the project immediately.
In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Chilos Godsent, a copy of which was obtained by journalists on Monday, the group stated, “Recently, the Ebonyi State government announced that the airport in Onueke has consumed over ₦53 billion of Ebonyi State taxpayers’ money, yet it has not started functioning. Additionally, in July 2024, the Ebonyi State government announced plans to purchase four aircraft for commercial purposes to make the airport operational.
“Given the above, the INC condemns in strong terms this deliberate and reckless waste of Ebonyi State taxpayers’ money on projects that serve no purpose. The INC believes that this ongoing white elephant project called an airport is a misplacement of priorities and a waste of funds.
“Therefore, the INC calls on the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to immediately set up an independent audit committee with a strict timeframe to conduct a forensic audit of the Ebonyi State airport project in Onueke.
“We wish to state that if the Ebonyi State House of Assembly treats this request with levity, the INC may have no choice but to mobilize concerned Ebonyi State stakeholders to initiate a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for an investigation into the project.”
Efforts to obtain an update from the state government on the current status of the airport project, in addition to the earlier insights provided by Governor Nwifuru and the Commissioner for Aviation Technology, Dr. Obichukwu, were unsuccessful on Monday.
Messages sent to state government officials, including the Commissioners for Information and Aviation Technology, Engr. Jude Okpor and Dr. Obichukwu, respectively, had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report on Monday.
Additionally, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nwifuru, Dr. Monday Uzor, had yet to respond to inquiries made by newsmen.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
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