General
Uduaghan Says Downgrade of Asaba Airport Political, Blasts Critics
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Immediate-past governor of Delta State and All Progressives Congress 2019 Delta South senatorial candidate, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, has opened up on the downgrade of the Asaba International Airport by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), few days to his exit as the governor of the oil-rich state in 2015.
The Nigerian government through the NCAA had downgraded the Asaba airport over the failure of Delta State government to put in place safety and security measures at the airport. The development temporarily shut down the operation of the airport as only Dash 8-Q 400 aircraft or its equivalent were allowed in.
But speaking recently in an interview with TELL Magazine, the Itsekiri-born medical doctor revealed that the poor remarks of the airport by the NCAA were politically motivated stressing that it was a regional power-play and blackmail by some aggrieved persons in the state.
In his words: “What they are celebrating as first international flight, what plane was used? A Boeing – 737 – which had been coming in. By the time I was leaving, we had had over 130,000 passengers pass through that airport; some coming with Boeing 737, and smaller planes. There is no president, past president, current president alive today, and very prominent Nigerians that has not passed through that airport and did not have good testimonies about that airport. The airport ran smoothly for three years; there was no issue.
“Then we started having challenges with the run-way, which we started to look at. And it’s not new. Enugu airport was resurfaced last year; they are already having challenges with the runway. Go and check Enugu records; the last visit of governors of the Southeast to Mr President was to complain about the runway in Enugu airport. And this was a runway that was rehabilitated, first before we left, then done again when I had left office. The same company which they recommended to us that should do the Asaba airport, rehabilitated Enugu airport in the last six years twice and still has problems. Abuja airport has problems – runway. Runway problem is not something new, just that they turned this one into politics.
“First, it was announced by the ministry; the ministry had no business announcing it. It’s the business of the FCAA. Some people lobbied the ministry to down-grade it so that I can panic and pump in money and finish it quickly. The same people at that time just felt upset that I had started the Osubi airport runway construction; I had paid some deposit to the company, and their own was that the deposit I had paid for the Osubi airport runway, why would I not use it to complete the Asaba Airport.
“So, there was a regional power-play and blackmail. I am going to mention names in the future, especially for the Osubi airport. We were given a temporary approval by the ministry to commence construction while lobbying for the permanent approval by the FCAA; so, we did not just go there anyhow. The minister came; he went to the place. They gave us temporary go-ahead to do it.
“Of course, ministers were changed. A new minister came in – Osita Chidoka – he was supposed to be my friend; he’s still my friend till today. But when he became minister, he was a little bit hostile. So, I was looking for him; I couldn’t locate him until we were having one rally. I said look, honourable minister, I have been trying to reach you. Can we meet over the airports in Delta? He said fine.
“I went to his office; I was in his office for over four hours discussing the two airports and he said Osubi must stop work. I said why? That we can’t have two airports together like that. For two years, I tried to take over the Osubi airport so that I could increase the length of the runway. You know it was built by Shell, and it was being run by Shell. Shell dribbled us for two years; it was eventually they opened-up to me that they would never give it out because it would affect their operations. I said all these two years, why not say it? So, when they eventually agreed to give it to us that we could do what we had in mind to do, but that we should not touch the short runway, I said okay, available land space, give it to us so that we would do a longer runway; airports don’t have only one runway. Some have three, four. Shell said no. So, that meant we cannot even have land.
“It got to a point when I said okay, I was going to revoke the land; carry your airport away; I will revoke the land. It was then they agreed to cede part of that available land space to us. Then, we acquired more from the communities to get enough land to be able to construct the second runway. So, we started the second one.”
The former governor further revealed that they had cleared, excavated, sand-filled and “work was going on when Chidoka said no, we cannot continue; that there are two airports. I told him no; I appealed to him, but we continued with our construction. He now sent people to come and stop the contractors. Of course, because they were contractors also doing federal jobs, they were afraid to continue in order not to be black-listed. So, that is what happened to Osubi airport hoping that they would force me to go to Asaba airport. But I told them that Asaba airport wasn’t abandoned; we were just having challenges with who the consultant would be.
“FCAA succeeded in forcing a consultant on us. The consultant that eventually did the job was not our consultant; it was nominated by the FCAA officials and they also wanted to force a contractor on us and we said no, that we had our own contractor, let him continue. Fortunately, the contractor that they wanted to force on us was the same contractor that handled the Enugu airport which again failed, so you can’t say he was so good a contractor. So, we had all those challenges. That is part story of the Asaba airport; the full story will come out.”
Responding to the issues raised by the NCAA in the downgrade report, Uduaghan said: “Most of the issues raised were handled. First, they started with fire-fighters; that the fire-fighters we put there were not for airports. We had to order for other ones to specification.
“Then they raised the issue of the hill; of course, the hill is well-known. That because of the hills, they would not allow big planes to come in. So, we had to give the contract concerning the hills to three different companies so that they can bring the hills down as quickly as possible. Of course, because of the cost, that started another controversy.
“They raised the issue of perimeter-fencing, about 70 per cent of which we had done; but before you wake up, Onitsha people had come to cut them, and they took them to go and sell. So, we had to increase security around the place.
“Then the issue of FA lighting so that planes can land at night; we installed FA lighting twice and they would come from across the Niger to steal them away. At the time they closed the airport, the memo had gone through exco, the contract had been awarded for the resurfacing of the runway. They were just waiting for mobilization. So, that statement wasn’t correct.
“The issues they raised, we tackled. And that airport is the most comprehensive airport in Nigeria. I challenge anybody; let us go and debate it. It was just purely regional and ethnic politics that they were doing with the airport. And for me, I am so happy because the point is, I have more people commending me for the airport from that Delta North, prominent sons, than the few persons that were playing politics. I have letters from the Asagba commending me for the airport and some of the things I did in Asaba. So, I am very happy and proud that I made it possible for Asaba to have an airport.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigerian refineries will not be allowed to waste away, given the huge investments made over many years, President Bola Tinubu has declared.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja, the President assured that in-depth research, restructuring, and leadership will reposition the moribund oil facilities to deliver value and profit.
Responding to a request by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), led by its leader, Mr Salimon Akanni Oladiti, to revive the nation’s oil refineries, Mr Tinubu explained that the challenges confronting the refineries would be addressed through a systematic, evidence-based approach rather than short-term interventions.
According to him, the federal government will encourage detailed research and technical assessments to identify the structural, operational, financial and managerial challenges affecting the facilities and develop sustainable solutions.
“The refineries that you mentioned are going to come back to work; we’re just building a very firm, resetting, and structural reworking of the economy of it. Ordinary flame and smoke of a refinery doesn’t mean that it’s working until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it is built.
“I’m not a man who goes looking back on everything because I’ve accepted the assets and liabilities of my predecessor. No matter what has happened in the years past, it’s now my responsibility as president to fix it and make it work for the greatest common good of our population. I take responsibility for that, and we will do it.
“I will just appeal to all of you to let us work diligently and passionately on this democracy. Democracy is about celebration of freedom and opportunity that must be cherished by all of us, just like a painful childbirth, but the joy is everlasting and long. And I promise you, you will enjoy a better Nigeria,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement signed by his spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
Responding to the remark on the implementation of local government autonomy, President Tinubu promised that the constitutional issues involved in its implementation are being reviewed for possible fine-tuning. He appealed for understanding among stakeholders.
He also took the opportunity to acknowledge a former President of the Union, the late Frank Kokori, for his role in deepening democracy in Nigeria.
“You brought good memories of my relationship with Frank Kokori; may his soul rest in peace. We struggled for this democratic dispensation together, and it was very tough for us to have this democracy, and you have been a very good partner of the government in progress,” he said.
Mr Tinubu also promised the NUPENG executives more inclusion in the implementation of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas. He, however, challenged them to make the effects of the CNG drive get down to the commuters.
In his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, commended NUPENG for acknowledging the positive outcomes of President Tinubu’s reform agenda, stating that this mutual understanding has reduced friction between trade unions and the government.
On his part, Mr Oladiti commended the President for taking the bold decision to end the fuel subsidy regime, describing the policy as a courageous step that has saved the country from decades of financial drain and depletion of national reserves.
According to him, the decision to remove the fuel subsidy has begun to yield enormous benefits for the country by freeing resources for critical infrastructure development and other sectors of the economy.
He particularly commended President Tinubu’s renewed commitment to rehabilitating and constructing major highways across the country, especially the ongoing construction of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway as major examples of infrastructure projects.
“For our members, a good road is the difference between arriving home safely and never arriving at all. Every stretch of highway rehabilitated or constructed means fewer accidents, fewer spillages, fewer lives lost, and less stress for the men behind the wheels.
“Mr President, that is a reform our members feel in their bones, and for it we say thank you because our tanker drivers and other road users are already seeing the benefits of the rehabilitation and construction of federal highways,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. West Africa Time.
In a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said the extension was intended to ensure that interested individuals, institutions and organisations have adequate opportunity to make substantive contributions to the proposed legislation.
“The Presidential Working Group is committed to ensuring that the process of developing the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders,” the statement read.
The proposed legislation is intended to provide the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework necessary for an effective policing architecture that responds to Nigeria’s evolving security needs, while providing appropriate safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.
“Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process,” the statement said.
The former lawmaker said legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and interested members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of the extended window to submit their memoranda and position papers, exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, on or before the new deadline.
According to him, developing an effective policing framework required careful consideration of a number of critical issues, including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.
“These considerations underscore the importance of robust stakeholder engagement in developing a framework that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the peculiar security needs of communities across the federation,” he added.
He noted that at the conclusion of its assignment, the Presidential Working Group will present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.
The Presidential Working Group appreciated stakeholders who had already made submissions and encouraged others intending to participate in the process to take advantage of the extension.
The National Policing Bill portal went live on August 3, 2026, when Gbajabiamila first announced the public consultation window during a press briefing on the reform, at the time indicating that submissions would close after roughly two weeks.
The Working Group is expected to present the completed Executive Bill package to President Bola Tinubu for review on September 3, 2026.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the prevailing insecurity in parts of the country is negatively affecting its operations and revenue generation.
The Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs and Zonal Coordinator, Zone B, Mrs Nsikak Umoh, disclosed this in Minna while inspecting the Niger/Kogi Area Command Headquarters and engaging with vehicle importers on the operational challenges confronting the command.
Mrs Umoh said insecurity was not peculiar to the Niger/Kogi Area Command, but affected several Customs formations across the North-West, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara states.
“The security challenge is not peculiar to only Niger/Kogi Area Command. The whole of North-West comprising Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara States, which are all under my command, are facing the same security challenge,” she said.
According to her, the security situation had exposed customs personnel to increasing threats, with some officers killed or injured in the course of performing their duties, adding that the development had forced some commands to scale down their operations or adopt more cautious approaches, thereby affecting revenue collection.
Mrs Umoh explained that the service was encouraging its officers to adopt intelligence-led operations to minimise risks while ensuring that legitimate Customs duties continued.
“But we are trying our best to encourage them to use an intelligence-based operating system to do their job, and that is why in most of the commands, we have a reduction in revenue collections,” she added.
The ACG also expressed concern over the impact of insecurity on the physical and psychological wellbeing of Customs personnel, noting that some officers had developed health complications, including hypertension, due to fear and stress associated with their duties.
Despite the security challenges, Umoh said the Niger/Kogi Area Command had continued to perform strongly in revenue generation, disclosing that the command had surpassed its monthly revenue target of N17 million, generating more than N200 million as of August 12.
She commended the officers and stakeholders in the command for sustaining revenue collection despite the difficult operating environment.
