Africa: Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority disown Controversial N2billion Wasimi Cargo Airport at the Senate Committee meeting

The last has not been heard about the proposed airport to be constructed in Ogun State which has generated a lot of controversy in the aviation industry and in the media.

There has been confusion among stakeholders on which project is economically beneficial to the state, an International Airport to be constructed in Wasimi, which is in the federal budget and part of the project of the immediate past governor, Ibikunle Amosun or the construction of a cargo airport as favoured by the governor of the state, Dapo Abiodu.

But the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on Tuesday, told the Senate Committee on Aviation that it is not aware of the existence of a cargo airport in Wasinmi for which President Muhammadu Buhari earlier ordered the release of a N2billion for its construction.

According to tbiafrica.com, Director General, NCAA, Captain Nuhu said that the agency was only aware of the existence of an airport in Sagamu, maintaining his stance even when Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah read a memo from the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika on the federal government approval for a grant of N2billion for the Wasinmi airport.

Nuhu’s persistent denial of the memo led to sharp arguments among Senators in the ongoing investigation by the Senate Committee on Aviation into the N2 billion Presidential grant for a cargo airport at Wasimi in Ogun State.

The Senator representing Ogun West, Tolu Odebiyi, who incidentally was Chief of Staff to the immediate past governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun however offered clarification as he said the proposed airport in Wasinmi was a passenger’s airport, not cargo airport.

“The NCAA was part and parcel of the project and necessary approval was sought and given for Wasinmi. It was not possible to put the agency in the dark about the project.”

But the Senator representing Lagos West and Chairman Senate Committee on Finance, Olamilekan Adeola, faulted the explanation offered by Senator Odebiyi, citing the documents presented to the Committee by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

“Yes, the Minister of Aviation is in the picture but the Senate Committee and NCAA aren’t aware, we don’t have the documents. We have listened to you (NCAA) and you have established that you have a record for Sagamu airport, not Passenger airport at Wasinmi,” Senator Adeola noted.

Senator Adeyemi in his remarks however said the Ogun state government has the financial capacity to run two airports.