Anambra Lawmaker, Hon Nonso Smart Okafor and the Special Assistant to Governor Obiano on Media, Mr Ejike Anyaduba have poured their minds on the need to urgently complete the ongoing construction of Anambra airport, being constructed by the state government.
They emphasized the need for the State to have a functional airport that will serve the commercial purpose of Ndigbo.
Hon Okafor, a lawmaker who is representing Nnewi North Constituency in the State House of Assembly disclosed that Anambra had been the commercial nerve centre of the East and Nigeria as well.
Nonso who is also touted to have interest in the Anambra Governorship race come November 6th, 2021, observed that Anambra people had contributed immensely to the tremendous economic development of Nigeria. Added that Ndi Anambra the people of the State had continued to demonstrate merchant Spirit, hard work and doggedness in their different areas of endeavours.
Hon Okafor in his words “Anambra is where everything happens. When it comes to economic activities you must mention Anambra state.
As you know, you can’t discuss economic activity without a functional airport, it will aid importation. Anambra people and Igbos import their goods through cargo.
“So we can’t be the commercial nerves of the nation without an efficient airport.
To be frank and Anambra is supposed to have every transport system; rail system, water system and a functional airport.
“Anambra airport is long overdue it’s something we must commend Governor Obiano for taking that bold step. He is sacrificing a lot to get it done.
“By the time Governor Obiano completes the project, it will spring up a whole lot of activities and boost our internally generated revenue.” Nonso Smart added.
Also on his part, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr Ejike Anyaduba decried over Unnecessary fuss about the airport.
According to him, “The Anambra Airport City Project has been slammed with so much vigour. Deliberately misconstrued by politicians and publicly lampooned by detractors. Both have seized upon the project to score off the Obiano government.
“They have queried its cost. They have also dismissed its economic importance.
“Is the state not too ambitious in building a $2billion airport city? Why spend that much when O.R.Tambo International Airport, South Africa, reputed to be one of the most expensive airports on the African continent is not anywhere close? What will the airport do differently? Will it land a phantom aircraft?
“The questions and snide comments were endless. Most of them designed to impugn the fidelity of the project.
“Notwithstanding, the Anambra airport city is not in any way fundamentally different from others elsewhere. It is not going to land an unusual aircraft. But it will surely have some facilities that will set them apart as different. It is also going to have an airport city (aerotropolis).
“It is for reasons of modern facilities and perhaps because of its perch on an artificial island that an airport like Kansai, International Airport, Osaka, Japan stands tall at $20billion one of the two most expensive airports in the world. At $20billion it is ten times the price of the Anambra city airport.
“Airports are designed for a lot of reasons. If designed for skeletal services as evident in some African countries it actually spares on cost. Otherwise, it is expensive when designed to cater for both passenger and cargo traffic volumes.
“Quite recently a lot of African airports, not as elaborately designed, had to undergo expansion in order to accommodate the booming tourism and renewed interest in investment on the continent. An airport is not expected to be cheap if designed to have modern facilities that allow it to play in the big league.
“The Anambra airport city project is designed to have such facilities like terminal buildings or cargo sheds, more than a runway (each of which is not less than a mile long) aviation fuel dump, international hotel, maintenance workshop, industrial cum business parks, malls etc in addition to an airport city.
“It is not very proper for objectors to the project to cavil about the cost when the state does not bear any financial responsibility in it. The project is at zero cost to the state. Her 5% equity contribution is in the area of land provision, the building of access roads and creating an enabling environment. Of the consortium of three companies namely Chinese Aviation Company (Sinoking Group), Orient Petroleum Resources and the Anambra State Government only the latter has no major financial commitment to the project. Sinoking is contributing 75%, Orient 20% while Anambra state government puts in 5%.
“It is fairly odd to think that Anambra state government will be so inconsiderate as to lay some burden of debt on the future of the state. At least its record of achievements has not supported that.
“What the government has done was to exploit the advantage of private partnership initiative to build up the state and make it a place the citizens should be proud to call their home.
“Those who quibble over a non-existent repayment schedule are just fretting over nothing. The airport will operate on the basis of Build, Operate, Manage and Transfer (BOMT).
“It is, therefore, unnecessary to split hairs on repayment when such was never on the card. The airport city will be sufficient unto itself.
“On the part of those who dismiss the airport as being of little economic importance to the state, it is a well-founded opinion that besides generating revenue it will aggregate jobs for the people. It is estimated that about one thousand two hundred direct jobs and close to four thousand indirect ones will be created.
“It is a trifle more disdainful to advocate that Asaba, Enugu and or Makurdi cargo airport should serve the needs of the state.
“If ndi Igbo, nay Anambra, contribute a sizeable proportion to the estimated five to six million passenger flow in Nigeria airports annually it is pertinent for the state to have an airport.
“Except in a detractors mind, the idea to continue patronizing the adjoining airports is not fertile. They cannot adequately satisfy the flight needs of ndi Anambra.
“As a matter of fact, those who call the airport city project unrealistic are not altogether foresighted. They are not better than Americans of the 1860s who dismissed the effort of the Secretary of State, William Henry Seward, in the purchase of the State of Alaska from Russia.
“They promptly nicknamed the purchase Seward Folly or Seward Ice Box. The Seward Folly would later turn out to be the greatest diplomatic achievements of the age.
“It took the effort of the media for Americans to appreciate what Seward did. Detractors abused and harangued him for purchasing the 49th state of the Union at $7.2million. They did not see what he foresaw and didn’t care a hoot what of benefit that was to America.
“They were all concerned about the cost. Today as the largest state in the US- though sparsely populated – Alaska offers the US a diverse terrain of open spaces, mountains, forests with abundant wildlife, and it is a destination for outdoor activities like skiing, mountain biking, kayaking etc.
“Like Americans who only appreciated Seward with the benefit of hindsight, Obianos day of glory is nigh. Anyaduba disclosed.
Recalled that in 2017, Anambra State Government inaugurated the construction of a multi-billion dollars International Airport City Project at Ivite Umueri, in Anambra East local government area.
The project with an estimated cost of $ 2 billion Dollars was a partnership between the Government of Anambra State, Orient Petroleum Resources Limited and Sinoking Enterprises Investments Limited of China. It was facilitated by Elite International Investment Holdings Limited.
But unfortunately, the Chinese company did not meet up with the requisite terms which made Anambra State Government, under Governor Willie Obiano, to finance the project without compromise.
The multi-billion-dollar Airport City Project would accommodate an airport with two runways, an aviation fuel dump, an airport hotel, an industrial business park, an international convention centre as well as a facility for aircraft maintenance.
The airport city project is conceived to join some of the most advanced airports in the world with a capacity to land any of the most sophisticated vessels known to man today.
It sits on 1500 hectares of land with enough elbow room for expansion from Ivite Umueri to neighbouring communities such as Nando, Umunya, Otuocha, Aguleri, Nteje, Nsugbe and beyond.
In the then contractual agreement, Sinoking Enterprises Investment Ltd will contribute 75% of the total cost and Orient Petroleum Resources Limited will contribute 20% while the Government of Anambra State will contribute 5%. The host community of Umueri is entitled to 3% of the profit from this project in perpetuity as a part of the standard corporate social responsibility.
Governor Willie Obiano who spoke during inauguration said the historic event was in line with his campaign promises to expand the frontiers of excellence, towards making the state the first choice investment destination and a hub for industrialisation.
Governor Obiano stated the enormous economic benefits of the airport such as the creation of over 1,200 direct and 3600 indirect jobs, where 70% of the jobs would be allotted to the people of the state in continuation of his efforts to create wealth and prosperity for the people. It would also provide an opportunity for training and skills transfer to our people.
Chief Obiano maintained that on completion, the Umueri Airport City Project would wipe out the difficulties businessmen and women in the state often encounter in exporting and importing goods and services and would help in improving the entire supply chain.
“With this project and our subsequent plan for a light rail project, Anambra State will eventually assume its rightful place as a major commercial and industrial hub in the West African sub-region. As you are aware, my administration is intensely focused on building projects that have immense economic values.
“Against all expectations and at a time of great economic recession, we have established our beloved state as a compelling investment destination and attracted investments valued at over 5 billion US Dollars. And with this airport city project, the figure now stands at 7.2 billion US Dollars.” the Governor added.