By Zik Gbemre

We have on countless occasions, hammered on the Delta State Government’s indifference and nonchalant disposition towards uplifting the status of the famous Osubi-Warri Airstrip to a standard Airport of international repute, but we have also come to the conclusion that, we really do not blame Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his attitude on this issue. Rather, we blame the Delta Central and Delta South politicians who have sold their developmental birthright for peanuts to Governor Okowa, who does not really care about the development of Warri and its environs.

These set of Delta State politicians have colluded and collaborated to write election results for Okowa to continue his misgovernance and misappropriation of State resources to address pressing needs of the State. In their bid to return Okowa because of what they hope to personally gain from his government, these set of Delta State politicians have sold their conscience, regardless of the far reaching repercussions of their actions against their people in Delta Central and Delta South.

Perhaps, these greedy and self-centered Delta Central and Delta South politicians should visit the once booming Osubi-Warri Airstrip to see things for themselves, and then judge Okowa’s performance to see if he is someone who is genuinely interested in the development of these two areas of Delta State. It is simply a shame on these shameless politicians who have succeeded in depriving their own people of development.

This was the same Delta State Okowa Government that was comfortable and indifferent about the several shutdowns of the Osubi Airstrip for weeks, which practically paralyzed airline operations at the said Osubi Airport. This was how in September 2018, Airport transport services at the all-important Osubi Airport near Warri in Delta State, was grounded to a halt, as Traffic Controllers withdrew services over alleged N600 million debt. In all these instances, we noted that whatever the case may be, the Osubi Airport is a very sensitive and strategically located Airport in Delta State, especially for the oil and gas sector operations and other commercial business activities within and outside the State. Therefore, the Delta State Government, the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders/authorities in the nation’s aviation sector cannot afford or allow the Osubi Airport to have its operations paralyzed or remain shut down for long and we wondered why the Delta State Government cannot partner with relevant Federal Government authorities and private bodies to take over the running of the said Osubi Airport without delay? Why should such an important Airport like the Osubi Airport be made to suffer one thing or the other over the past few years, which have adversely affected its operations, patronage by airline operators and usage by the Nigerian air travelers?

Let us reiterate again that the “strategic location” of the Osubi Airstrip, near the oil city of Warri and environs, has made it “a favorite” for Nigerians in Delta State and beyond. Hence, the general increasing desires and demands by us for years now, for the Government to have it developed to a standard Airport to accommodate bigger aircrafts for more patronage. The major work that is required of the Government here is to “increase the size of the Osubi Airstrip runway” so that large aircrafts can land at the Airstrip that will be turned into a standard Airport. The Delta State Government have not responded in this regard to expand the said Osubi Airport runway.

The Delta Central and Delta South politicians are not seeing all of this, as they are more concerned about their bellies and what would increase their private accounts. Let the Government and these set of Delta State politicians be reminded that 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, 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), the Utorogu Gas Plant and Utorogu NAG-2 (DomGas Plant), Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), etc, All of these make the area very “active with business, commercial activities” and movement of people by air. So, we cannot afford to have the Osubi Airport remain at its current nonfunctional status any longer.

Zik Gbemre.

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)

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