Bayelsa Airport suffering funding deficit despite N40 billion loan

Bayelsa Airport suffering funding deficit despite N40 billion loan

The Bayelsa government and its contractors handling the Bayelsa Cargo Airport project have held divergent views on the availability of funds for the project.

Bayelsa government had in 2015 secured a N40 billion loan to complete the project whose timeline has been shifted several times.

It will be recalled that the project started in 2012 was conceived as a partnership between Bayelsa and federal government. under Goodluck Jonathan presidency.

The federal government was expected o handle the terminal building with state government taking up the rest.

While contractor attributed delays in the project delivery date which has been postponed severally government officials rather blame the delay on a botched collaboration with federal government to finance part of the state airport project.

The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, had said last year that the first flight would land at the airport by December 2016 .

The government at the last count fixed the inaugural flight to land at the Bayelsa International Airport, Amassoma in the first quarter of this year.

Indications from the project contractors according to NAN findings show that  the project might not be completed until October this year.

The projected completion date of October according to sources at the site  is still subjects to the timely release of funds to the contractors handling different aspects of the job.

The contractor handling the runway, apron and a terminal building said contrary to the earlier reports that the project is almost ready, work done so far at the terminal building is just about 35 per cent while the overall project is about 80 per cent.

According to the Assistant Project Manager, Dantata and Sawoe, Engr Samson Anedi, a lot of milestones had been achieved towards the completion of the apron, runway and terminal building but that the project is suffering from funding.

“ Project has three kilometer m runway. It will be one of the best airports in the South-South to surpass that of Port Harcourt. categorised as Category D,

“The airport is made up of 200 square meters Apron where cargo and planes will park.

“ A lot of sand filling done initially due to swampy nature of the terrain. Apron casting is about 35% complete and can accommodate four 747 cargo planes when completed. Taxing way suspended at the moment due to some issues.” Aniedi

Anedi who said with proper funding, the project should be ready for the first flight sometime in October this year informed that aviation regulatory Authorities are already on ground to supervise the work to standards and specification.

However Mr Jonathan Obuebite, Bayelsa Commissioner for Information insisted that the airport project was some 80 percent complete adding that delays in the terminal building he put at 35 percent was being addressed.

Obuebite denied that funds for the project were not diverted.

“The state government decided to take a loan to fast track the project because federal government was not forthcoming on the collaboration to fund the airport  terminal building.

“Whoever told you that the project is lacking funds is not informed,” Obuebite said.