LAGOS JANUARY 8TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The Coordinator of Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Mr Zik Gbemre has appealed  to the  Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo to  urgently embark on the expansion of the Osubi-Warri runway to enable bigger aircrafts to land and take off both day and night hours.

Gbemre recalled that the Osubi Airstrip  that was built by Shell is long over due, adding,  “the land for expansion is already there. No stress of acquiring another land. Keyamo should move fast to do the needful.”

Gbemre who made the appeal in his facebook page on January 6th, 2024 urged the Minister to urgently do the needful hence  it  is within  his  role as minister of Aviation, stressing that  history will not be kind to him  if he refuses to expand the Osubi Airstrip RUNWAY in  his tenure as Minister of Aviation.

“The dilly-dally and your silence on the expansion of the RUNWAY project of Osubi airstrip is extremely disturbing,” he observed.

Continuing, Gbemre recalled, “We hear you have embarked on a second RUNWAY for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by acquiring extra land. Why don’t you include Osubi Airstrip in your first assignment as minister of Aviation where the land for expansion was already acquired by Shell in the 90s?

:Delta State is economically viable and a major oil and gas producing state in Nigeria. Why the delay in the Osubi-Warri RUNWAY expansion project to take off and not mere promises?”

Gbemre explained that the Osubi Airstrip that was built by Shell is long overdue for expansion, adding that the facility is one of the best in the country but lacks bigger RUNWAYS for bigger aircrafts to land and take off.

“Within the first 6 months of the opening of Osubi Airstrip years back, it was adjudged among the best in the country in traffic flow, one of the highest in Nigeria.

“Osubi Airstrip was commissioned and opened for commercial flights on April 1,1999 with Shell landing a Dornier 328 and Aero contractors 50-passenger Dash aircraft at the Osubi Airstrip.

“Within six months from the opening, about 1000 passengers passed through just as it handled 3,500 aircraft movements due to the increase in air traffic.  When Shell was operating and managing the airstrip till the company divested, the maintenance and facilities were compliant internationally.”

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