Benin Airport Reopens for Flight Operations

Close to three months after the Benin Airport suspended flight activities, the management of the airport on Thursday announced its reopening as duly certified by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Lagos airport

Flight operations were suspended at the airport on June 28, 2015 to enable authorities of the airport carry out rehabilitation work on the runway which was in bad shape as well as put in place other infrastructure considered crucial to flight operations and safety.

The Benin Airport Manager, Mr. Sunday Ayodele,  who spoke with journalists in Benin City, confirmed the resumption, stating however that the airport was never closed to other activities apart from the runway which needed to be fixed for the safety of passengers.

According to him, the airport was only suspended to flight activities by the various airlines flying in and out of the state.

Regretting the pains the suspension might have caused its numerous customers, especially passengers who use the airport, Ayodele observed that it was intended to ensure their safety and serve them better.

He disclosed that flight operations would commence this weekend, promising that adequate security measures had been put in place to prevent intruders from gaining access to the runway after the stowaway incident and other threats.

The chairman of Car Hire Services and users who have spend close to 35 to 40 years carrying out various business activities at the airport have expressed happiness that activities would soon begin following the suspension, saying this would enable them fend for their families.

They observed that members of the car hire services have understanding with security agencies at the airport to prevent any threat from persons who will want to take advantage of travellers.

With this, travellers who have made Asaba airport and land transport as an alternative since the suspension of flight activities in Benin Airport will now heave sigh of relief.

Benin Airport Reopens for Flight Operations

FG to shut down benin airport for runway repairs

The Federal Government yesterday said that it will shut down the Benin airport’s runway on Saturday, June 20 to Friday, July 10, 2015 the purpose of repair and maintenance.

Disclosing this development to newsmen, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Onyekwere Nnaekpe pointed out that the temporary closure was to facilitate rehabilitation work on the airport’s runway.

Mr. Nnaekpe however added that the agency NOTAM had been sent to adequately inform airlines’ operators and passengers of the development.

He said “The Management of the Federal Airports Authority Nigeria wishes to inform members of the public, especially airline operators, airline passengers and other airport users, that the Benin Airport will be closed to flight operations from Saturday, June 20 to Friday, July 10, 2015 to facilitate rehabilitation work on the airport’s runway”

“A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has already been issued to all operators of scheduled and non scheduled flights to the airport, to enable them make alternative arrangements for their flight operations during the period of the closure of the airport”

The FAAN Deputy General Manager said that airlines’ operators could use the Asaba airport and the Osubi airstrip in Warri as alternates airports to the Benin airport.

“The runway rehabilitation work is part of a routine maintenance programme designed by the Authority to ensure that airport runways and other ancillary facilities do not fall below standards recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)”.

“The Authority regrets any inconvenience the closure of the Benin Airport for this period will cause airline operators, airline passengers and other users of the airport” Mr.Nnaekpe said.

 

FG to shut down benin airport for runway repairs

Grounded Chopper: Oshiomhole threatens to go to court if ..

 

GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has threatened to go to court and challenge any authority which seeks to infringe on his fundamental human rights if his right to movement from one place to another within the country is violated again.

Speaking on Thursday when the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Benin Airport branch, paid him a visit to apologise over the recent incident at the Benin Airport, where his chartered helicopter was stopped from flying, the governor, who said he had direct contact with President Goodluck Jonathan following the incident, said: “I’m convinced that he (President) didn’t give those orders that I should be stopped.”

He added:   “The next time I’m so interrupted, I will not fail to go to court and challenge the infringement on my fundamental right to movement. We need to strengthen our democracy. We need to breathe air to our multi-party democracy.”

He advised the airport authorities to shun partisan politics and insist on professionalism, saying, “it will be a sad day if the management of a sensitive institution that has to do with air safety joins the club of politicians and political actors.”

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Grounded Chopper: Oshiomhole threatens to go to court if ..

Grounding my helicopter was primitive - Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State open up over the grounding of his chartered helicopter to attend solidarity rally for Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State describing the action of federal government as primitive and ill-conceived.

Speaking on a television programme, Oshiomhole said the rally “was a scheduled rally and Kayode is my friend besides being a Governor. I got to the airport and was told that sorry, we got instructions from above that you can’t fly to Ekiti, I was even told that I can’t fly to Akure and go by road to Ekiti.

“It was very unfortunate because you have overzealous persons, it may not be coming from what they referred to as above because the man in charge of this Nigerian project today who is in the driver’s seat is the President and I do not think that President Jonathan will order anybody to prevent people from going to campaign. But you have people who think they love the ruling party more than the chief of the party.

“For me it was quite embarrassing, I didn’t see what value it added, if anything, it raises the doubts about the preparedness of the authorities to allow a level-playing field. I have the right to go to any part of Nigeria and if you can stop a Governor, you treat him as a miscreant, it’s not about me, it’s about the office, and then you reduce the country to something close to a banana republic.

“These things happen all the time, that’s why I always argue that we need strong institutions rather than strong personalities. When institutions like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency are strong, even the Minister cannot order those responsible for the airport to be co-opted into their political game, because they are supposed to do their jobs professionally.

“But because we have weak institutions where the Minister can hire and fire, the Minister of State or even a Director who wants to show that he loves the ruling party more than anyone else will give those orders. There is no right-thinking mind who will think that by preventing some of us from attending that rally; it will make such a significant difference to the outcome of the Ekiti election. It was a primitive ill-conceived approach.”

 

Copyright – Leadership

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Grounding my helicopter was primitive - Oshiomhole

Grounding Oshiomhole"s aircraft deliberate

Sequel to the grounding of Edo State Government aircraft yesterday at the Airport in Benin, the Director Public Communication for Edo State Governor, Prince Greg Igiogwa said it was a deliberate act from the Presidency.

Oshiomhole

He disclosed this while responding to questions from NAIJA CENTER NEWS (NCN) correspondent. He admitted that there was a directive from security operatives which was to commence 24 hours to the election.

He said “There was no directive from INEC but the security services and police, they did not want any cars or convoy or people coming out and in without being monitored”

When asked if the governor’s move didn’t violate the security directives, he said the Progressives went to Ekiti to show solidarity at the grand rally before the election, the directive was to take effect from 24 hours before the election.

He revealed that it was cleared that the directive to hold the governor back in Benin was from above. He also said the governor did not react badly because it wasn’t new as he knew that it was a move from people who do not want the progressives to come together since many PDP chieftains including the Vice President, Namadi Sambo were present in Ekiti at the same time.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih has accused the governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of spending tax payer money on regular foreign trips and trips to his village.

The Chairman revealed that the governor spend N20 to N30 million on his hired aircraft monthly on trips that are not official, which according to him, amount to reckless spending of the limited resources of the state.

He thanked those behind the grounding of the aircraft “We are happy that Edo PDP is not alone in both the know of the avoidable waste and the desire to correct the anomaly.

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Grounding Oshiomhole"s aircraft deliberate

Oshiomhole spends N25m to N30m monthly on foreign trips - Dan Orbih

Press release

Whoever Denied Oshiomhole’s Chopper Flight, Edo People say Thank you

Edo PDP received with great delight, as must all Edo People, the news of the refusal by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s chattered helicopter to fly out of the Benin Airport.

This is the second time in a short period that this is happening.

Our party has severally brought to the attention of Edo people, and indeed Nigerians, the wasteful and unfruitful foreign trips of the governor which have tasked the lean resources of the State.

Record available to Edo PDP show that the governor spends between N25 to N30m naira monthly on chattered helicopters which he engages on social trips to local destinations like his village in Iyamho that are less than a couple of house drive in a car and that are of no economic value to the people.

It is instructive to note that these trips repreent a reckless use and abuse of public funds and we challenge him to make public the cost, to Edo tax payer, of these chattered flights to international and local destinations.

We are happy that Edo PDP is not alone in both the know of the avoidable waste and the desire to correct the anomaly.

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Oshiomhole spends N25m to N30m monthly on foreign trips - Dan Orbih

Protesting Edo youths disrupted activities at Benin Airport

By Ehi Ekhator

Youth in thousands from oil producing communities in Edo State disrupted activities at the Benin Airport for more than three hours yesterday, protesting the appointment of Edo State Commissioner into the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, by President Goodluck Jonathan, which they said has been delayed.

The youth gave the President one week to appoint a commissioner to represent the state on the board of the commission or they shut down all oil wells in the state.

It was gathered that the angry youth had last month, issued a 21 day ultimatum to the President to appoint an NDDC Commissioner in Edo state or be ready to face the wrath of people from the oil producing communities.

The protesters yesterday created tension on the Airport Road by blocking the exit gates, sending passenger backs, thereby disrupted the activities at the Benin Airport.

The Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo, after intervening and appealing to the youth to allow people move into the airport, led to the calm and disperse of the protesters at about 11 am.

One of the protesters, Mr. Iyamu Culture who talked with newsmen revealed that they were protesting because the ultimatum given to the President to appoint an NDDC commissioner for the state has expired.

He said: “We are protesting because the situation is affecting youth development in Edo State. As we speak, the NDDC has resolved to empower youths in all the nine Niger Delta states. With the non-appointment of Edo State NDDC Commissioner, Edo youths might not benefit from that. Projects have also been put on hold in the state due to the non-appointment of a commissioner. We are urging Mr President to act by appointing a substantive commissioner from any quarters as long as the person is from an oil producing community.”

 

Protesting Edo youths disrupted activities at Benin Airport