Nigeria Air MD Designate, 2 NCAA Retirees Now Consultants To Ogun Agro Airport
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R-L: Sen Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun State, and the initiator of the Agro-cargo Airport, Gov Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State Governor, racing to consolidate and bring to fruition, the two decades old airport project at the inaugural flight to the airport, 18th February 2023
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has approved the appointment of three distinguished aviation professionals as consultants to the state government legacy project, Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport, Illisan Remo.
According to the media statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, the experts appointed are Capt. Dapo Olumide, erstwhile Managing Director designate of Nigeria Air, was appointed as Consultant on Airport Management, while Engr. Benedict Adeyileka, a former Acting Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Ag DG, NCAA, appointed Consultant on Regulatory Matters (Aviation), and Engr. Mohammed Odunowo, a former director with NCAA and the immediate past Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, was appointed a Consultant on Aviation.
The media statement further clarified that; “… the above appointments were based on the relevant and cognitive expertise and experience of the appointees in the national and international aviation sector”.
However, another school of thought mostly concerned with the profitable use of public funds in solid commercial ventures that will yield generous returns on investments has variously criticized the project.
One of such critics is Group Capt. John Ojikutu, a former military commandant at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Group Capt Ojikutu, a septuagenarian condemned the location of the airport and the purpose the government claimed the airport is being established to serve.
He said the volume of agro products deserving air fretting is so few that the existing airports are grossly underutilized for such cargo business.
Ojikutu argued thus “As of now, we have less than half a million tonnage of cargo for both export and import, which is too small even for the existing airports in the country,” he said at a media chat.
He also criticized the airport location – Illisan Remo. He recounted that he advised the committee the initiator of the project, Gov. Gbenga Daniel, initially constituted to examine the propriety of an airport in Illisan Remo nay Ogun State.
The retired military commandant recounted his submission then, to the OGD committee thus, “I suggested that it should be located near the industrial area between Ota and Papalanto, which contributes significantly to Ogun state revenue”
He however sadly noted, “They refused due to sentiments without considering the benefits for the state,” Ojikutu said.
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