N6 billion budgeted, yet nothing to show
Maduako Igbokwe l Thursday, June 18, 2020
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – Eight months to the completion date of the Anambra State Cargo Airport Umueri in Anambra East local area , work is yet to commence on site, says commissioner for works Marcel Ifejiofor.
The state government appropriated N6 billion for the construction of the Anambra Cargo Airport in the 2020 budget.
The commissioner made the disclosure on Wednesday when a team of journalists who had earlier visited the airport site, went to his office to get details information on the project.
The commissioner who was not happy with the journalists trying to find out the situation reports,” noted “ noting is happening at the site, if that is the reason you came to my office” ask for another thing. When asked if that can be taken as his comment, he said yes.
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Recall that the governor of the state chief Willie Obiano had on November 2019 said the construction work at the Anambra Cargo Airport would be completed in less than 18 months.
The assurance came four years after the project cited at Umueri community was flagged off. Obiano gave the assurance at the third Anambra Business and Investment Roundtable at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, Anambra state
He promised to do everything possible to complete the project within the stipulated time. Obiano also stated that clearing had been done on one-kilometre of the airport’s 3.6-kilometre runway.
The commissioner who was visibly angry with the journalists for trying to find out the development at airport ,said that he had no comment to make on the airport project, saying that when he is ready he will tell the journalists what to write.
” My answer is no comment and no comment”, he told journalists, whom he kept standing for over 30 minutes.
‘I don’t have any comment to make on the project development, any time I want to make comment I will tell you. If the project has started our Anambra Broadcasting Service ABS would have carried the report” he said.
The Journalists, who further tried to convince him on why he should speak on the project development citing public interest ,he said ‘ “is it because I allowed you into my office. How many commissioners in the state can allow you into their offices the way I allowed you people into their offices, not to talk of other eastern states. I don’t have any comments on the project” he said.
From the site the commissioner told journalists on phone ” why are you here? Who told you to come here? We don’t allow people to come here, you can’t come, but you can come to my office on the following day Wednesday by 10am” he said
However, the journalists finding showed that work had started as some earth moving equipment were already clearing the site.
Meanwhile Anambra state in the 2020 budget appropriated N6 billions for the airport.
The commissioner had late last year after the presentation of 2020 budget given reasons ,the State Government budgeted N6 billion for the construction of the proposed Anambra Cargo Airport, despite initial information that a Chinese Company, Sinoking International would build it at no cost to the state through a build – operate –manage-and transfer (BOMT) basis.
According to him,the state government made provision of N6 billion in the proposed 2020 budget because the Chinese company was wasting time, and the governor needed to start doing something since he had already promised the people an airport.
