Recently, the Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu undertook a trip to the northern senatorial district of the state, apparently to inspect projects of the Obudu cargo, and also thank the people of that senatorial district for the massive support given to him during the governorship election.
Many people are, however, questioning the importance or otherwise of the visit. The question arises because many consider his beginning slow and relatively uneventful so far.
Without Commissioners, the wheel of governance seems punctured and, to an outsider, "nothing is moving in the state." This belief is premised on the fact that barely two months after taking over the reins of governance, there seems to be a lull, especially with Commissioners yet to be appointed and the government structure yet to be put in place.
Our correspondent actually gathered that since the state account had been frozen on the orders of the governor, a change of signatories is imperative for the governor to have unhindered access to, as well as control of the state account.
But the governor's trip to the northern senatorial district this past week threw up a surprise that has become a revelation to his team - the Obudu cargo airport.
When the immediate past governor, in all his whimsical nature, ventured into constructing the airport, so many tongues wagged with some wondering if such a project would change the economic fortunes of the state.
Yet, the former governor was convinced that the construction of an airport within the Obudu cattle ranch and resort would have a positive impact and drive traffic to the place, especially given the fact that it was once an attraction to tourists during the hay days of Mr. Donald Duke.
Giving reasons for citing the cargo airport which construction work actually started in March 2021, Ayade who had paid a visit to the site in April of that year had commented thus: "I am quite excited at the progress of work so far. We have five subcontractors working here at the Obudu International passenger/cargo airport and we hope to be done with all the earthworks in the next four months.
He added: "The contract was only awarded earlier this year and they moved to a site about two months ago and they have achieved about 35 per cent in terms of job completion."
But after inspecting the airport last week, Governor Bassey Otu said he was impressed with ongoing work at the airport and pledged his administration's commitment to the completion of the project within the contractual timeframe.
He said: "I am very impressed at the quality and the level of work done here. I think the airport is actually ready to go. As we can see, everything is on ground, it is just the tarmac, which is at its completion stage.
"The contractors who have been working with regulatory officials from the aviation agencies have assured me that if the necessary support is provided this place will be running within six months.
"For us, this project is critical because we want this area to start generating wealth for Cross River State. We have the ranch, which has been there for decades, and it is time to make it work again. This airport is the main facility that will effectively ensure mobility and traffic to the ranch. I have checked and assessed the work done so far and it is impressive."
On the Bebi airstrip, Gov. Otu said the state government was planning to float an aviation school at the facility to complement its function.
The Managing Director of CIBA, Engr. Josiah Samuel, contractor of the Obudu Cargo Airport, was optimistic about the airport completion with adequate support from the state government.
"From what you can see, a lot has gone in here, I have assured His Excellency that with adequate support from the government within six months this airport, which is of international standard, will be operational.
"The runway is over three kilometres comparable to any other international airport passenger cargo in Nigeria.
"The Control Tower is ready, all navigational equipment is in place. For the runway, where we are standing now is the binders course of 60 meters and on top of this, we are to add another 70 meters of wearing course for maximum thickness.
"You have airports with 2-kilometer runways, but this is 3.2 kilometers in addition to the skipping area together we have over 5 kilometers. What we have here is comparable to any other international cargo/passenger airport," he assured.
Clearly, the cargo airport, when completed, has the potential of driving traffic to the northern senatorial district and also generate revenue for the state.
However, there are lots of facilities that are needed to activate traffic in the area. While work has gone far and the project could become a reality in a few months' time, the ranch itself needs to be brought to a functional state.
During its active years, there was a cable car that added beauty and glamour to make the ranch a place to visit. Besides, the buildings were well taken care of and they created an ambiance conducive to meetings, conferences, workshops, and seminars.
It was during those active years that sporting activities like the mountain race were a yearly event that kept it not only busy but also complemented the annual carnival festival back in Calabar.
At that time, and up to when the facilities deteriorated, the locals were enjoying some form of economic boom because they served as tour guides, sold whatever their soil produced as crops, and generated resources for themselves.
It is only when these facilities are put in place to attract tourists and revive economic growth at the ranch that the cargo airport will serve the very purpose of its construction and the airport itself can be used as an evacuating corridor for men and materials.
Comments