BEVERLY HILLS, September 02, (THEWILL) – The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP in Delta State, at the weekend called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe the Asaba Airport project, which it claimed has so far gulped over N50bn under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led government in the state.
Chairman of the Conference in the state, Mr. Gabriel Mamuzo, made this call in a statement, insisting that what the PDP built was an airstrip, not an airport and that the conference is against such fraudulent and insensitive way of governance.
He said: “We welcome the state government efforts in the upgrade of the Asaba Airport, but we equally call on the anti-graft agencies to probe the Asaba airport project that has gulped over N50 billion under the PDP previous administration.
“We recall that the PDP administration told us that Asaba is an international airport when it started in 2008, while then did it now change and name it something that is below domestic standard?
“The Nigeria Aviation authority downgraded the airport to below standard of domestic airport and ordered its closure in 2014 due to the shoddy job done by both the PDP- led state government and the contracting firm.
“The amount spent on the airport project can conveniently give us the best international airport in Africa. Unfortunately, the PDP- led administration gave us an airstrip that is being used by helicopter mostly and small aircraft that will carry less than 40 passengers,” he said.
The chairman of the Young Democratic Party, YDP, in the state added: “Recently, the new administration put in more money again in the name of upgrading the acclaimed cargo airport, while poor Deltans are dying of starvation.
“They call it Asaba International Airport, yet we do not go on pilgrimage through it or to another international world, rather we pass through Port-Harcourt or Enugu airports.
“They should tell Deltans how much is the white elephant failed project and Deltans wish to know how much the state government have generated from that Asaba airport from 2008 till date,” he asserted.
