Oghotoma Condemns Concession Of Asaba Airport, Says Many Decisions By Okowa Must Be Reversed By His Successor

By Daniel Dafe
An aspirant for the Governorship seat in Delta State in 2019, on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Sir Benson Oghotoma (OBO), has condemned the move by the Okowa-led administration to sign an agreement with a firm to take over the handling of the Asaba Airport for the next 30 years.

Speaking with Oasis Magazine (OM) during a phone conversation, Oghotoma said that the move will have a negative effect on job creation, saying the way private sectors do their thing when it comes to employment is quite different from the way government does theirs.

He added: “I know effectiveness may have been a reason for the concession because I know the contractor will do the maintenance better because government-owned public schools when compared to private schools are lagging behind.

“I don’t have any issue with asking a private enterprise to run government’s business; I don’t have issues with that.”

He continued: “How can a state government build something for 40 billion naira and then the same state government will now sell even though we know it is duration of 30 years but how can he now sell it for 4 billion naira as it has been reported?

“So, I cannot reconcile the reason why the PDP government decided to take that decision. Let Okowa revert it back immediately so that people can still have confidence in his government

“As I was going to Ughelli along the Asaba-Ughelli Road, I saw little development. He has tried after some of us raised alarm after the neglect of many years. But for the airport to be sold that way is not good for employment. How much will that be? Even motor parks can do that. Some private schools can also submit that money in a month.

“If he does not revert that decision, whosoever that will come to power in 2023…it could be me, Agege or Ogboru. Anyone that comes to power must revoke that concession arrangement or they should be invited for further negotiation.”

According to him, Okowa’s government has been failing lately, noting the issue of DELSU, adding that it was run like a primary school spread everywhere,

“I am beginning to see ethnicity in his administration. Before, I was not viewing it from that angle. I know he established one of the new universities in my place but it is not enough. What we want is let us develop Anwai campus, Oleh campus and make available more standard lecturers instead of cutting them into pieces. I have not seen any place where universities are cut into pieces.

“In 2018 when I was campaigning for 2019 elections, I did say that the Delta State University should be named after the first Executive Governor of Delta State, Felix Ibru. I said it, but hell was let loose because I said it should be named after him. Federal University of Technology, Yola, was named after the first governor of Adamwa State. Look at AAU former Edo State University was named after Ambrose Alli.

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“When Ibru was governor of Delta State, I know the fight the man fought to keep DELSU in Abraka. I am blaming Ibori for all the nonsense because when Delta State University was to be established, there was clamour that it should be taken to Asaba. Ibru asked a question if the current Edo State University was in Benin or Ekpoma. It was by force he was able to establish it in Abraka. Ibori would have named it after Ibru or was he expecting the government after him to name it after him? Nobody will do that.”

Furthermore, he said “these are some of his errors; Okowa has made errors in airport and in establishing mushroom universities. He also made error in not naming the Delta State University after Ibru and he has made error in naming Anwai Campus after Osadebey. All these are issues that must be addressed. Whosoever must produce the governorship in 2023 must know that ethnicity was involved when these decisions were made by Okowa,” he said.