. Again, Confusion As Gov Commissions N70Bn Uncertified Airport
By Hamilton Nwosa (Head, The New Diplomat’s Business and Poll Tracking Desk)
With just about three days to leave office, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa’s have come under fire and attack from political appointees and unruly youths of Bayelsa who blocked his convey and engaged his security team in host exchanges.
The youths and appointees who also accused the out-going governor of destroying the Peoples Democratic party(PDP) in the State on account of his alleged selfish political bid to impose an unpopular governorship candidate on the PDP against the wishes of vast majority of Bayelsans, including former Vice President Goodluck Jonathan who preferred former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe, vowed to use all legal means to bring Gov Dickson to account for his alleged misdeeds as governor.
In a video already trending and circulating online, the aggrieved appointees chanted angry rheotorics, while hauling stones and sticks at security men who sought to prevent the unruly youths who massed in front of Government House, Yenegoa.
This development is coming as concerns have further soared in the State with yesterday’s commissioning of the N70bn Bayelsa International Cargo Airport located in Amassoma by Governor Dickson without certification. Governor Dickson who commissioned the state’s International Airport in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw LGA of the state yesterday used the occasion to call on the federal government to issue it an operational license.
He also commissioned 2.5-kilometer road leading to the Airport, which he named after the first civilian governor of the state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. According to him “ this project will continue to bring Bayelsa to the world and the world to Byaelsa and bring about rapid development.” He added: “ I know this is one of teh best airports in the country. I want to call on the Federal Government and its agencies to without further delay issue us the license permit to enable teh airport commence commercial operations.”The chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, Alfred Diete-Spiff described the airport as an investment that could bring investors to Bayelsa State.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had restated that the absence of a proper perimeter fencing of the International Cargo Airport, a development that raises serious safety and security concerns, has made it highly impossible for NCAA to accord statutory certification to the airport as good enough for operational use.
Recall that the Amassoma community had similarly blocked the access road leading to the Airport in protest against the State government’s alleged refusal to fully remit the sum approved for compensation to the host community thereby preventing NCAA’s visiting team from gaining access to the airport two days ago.
Abdullahi Sidi, director-general of NCAA, had said perimeter fencing and other vital components are necessary requirements which the State government should accomplish before certification could be carried out successfully carried out.
Recall that the Bayelsa State Government built the airport at a cost of about N70 billion, an amount many considered outrageous and over-inflated. But in February, last year the airport had its inaugural flight by the state governor, Governor Dickson, from Abuja, and was later followed by an Air Peace flight from Lagos. But it is still yet to get the necessary operational certification and clean bill of health from NCAA to commence operations as an airport.
