As part of his first anniversary celebrations, Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Chioma Otti went on a meet-the-people tour of the state’s three senatorial districts. At the meeting with Abia North residents at Ohafia local government headquarters, Governor Alex Otti openly admitted that he is not perfect.
The Governor, like all humans, accepted that he is not perfect and has flaws. His acceptance of man’s imperfection was captured in the following words: “… As humans, we are fallible, and we recognise that mistakes can happen. However, we are willing to learn from our mistakes and make the necessary corrections…”
While acknowledging that humans are capable of making mistakes, Dr. Alex Otti emphasised the importance of feedback in human affairs, particularly in governance. In this regard, he stated that the purpose of the town hall meeting was for his administration to express gratitude to the good people of Abia North for giving his government a mandate and to solicit their feedback. The Governor stated unequivocally, “We recognise the importance of actively listening to their feedback”. These feedbacks are critical for reviewing, revising, and improving our governance initiatives”.
Feedback, whether positive, constructive, or negative, is the public’s response to any issue that concerns them, it is an essential tool that those in positions of authority should take seriously. This being said, Governor Alex Otti, whose New Abia is on a cloudward trajectory, should reconsider the proposed Abia Airport project and make the necessary changes.
This has become necessary in light of the growing public opposition to building state-owned airports, particularly among aviation industry experts. Feedback from key players in the aviation sector indicates that constructing state-owned airports is unviable and unprofitable, despite billions of naira invested in them.
According to the Tribune newspaper on 12 August 2024, the managing director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, stated that nearly all state-owned airports, except three, have justified the state funds invested in their construction because they have fallen into the category of unviable and wasted ventures due to the airports’ almost zero patronage and activities.
In the same vein, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) reported that only three of the 22 airports managed by FAAN accounted for 92% of all passenger journeys in the country in 2022. Against this backdrop, THISDAY’s editorial on 16 July 2024, stated: “… we fail to understand the motivation for governors’ obsession with airports…” It went on: “We therefore do not understand the rationale behind more airports for states beyond political consideration”. That is the simple truth. But, should it be? The answer is “No”.
Borrowing to fund an airport project does not make economic sense in the current economic climate, with the lending rate at 29:11 and the interest rate at 26:75, respectively, and inflation levels soaring. Such a massive investment, as proposed by the Abia State Government, is, to say the least, a misappropriation of public funds and should be scrapped. The argument that Abia is the only state in the country without an airport should not be appealing, given that existing state-owned airports are nothing more than failed projects.
Instead, such public resources should be dedicated to infrastructure, amenities, mechanised farming, the formation of new industries, and the revitalisation of dormant ones. Venturing into these areas will boost the state’s economy and have a positive impact on citizens’ welfare.
Again, the supposed host communities of the proposed Abia Airport are opposed to the project being sited in the Nsulu clan. They argue that the Nsulu clan is currently the landlord of Nsulu Games Village and a State Housing Estate and that building the airport in the clan would constitute further expropriation of their land. The implication is the loss of more than 80% of their farmlands, economic crops, and an unknown number of residential houses, business premises, and churches, as well as the forced extinction of families whose homesteads are within the airport’s right of way.
They also believe that the State Government should return to and use the location previously acquired for the Abia Airport project by Dr Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration, as it is still lying fallow.
Isiakpu is a media consultant based in Umuahia
