Community Wants Proposed Uyo Airport Site Relocated
The Okopedi Development Association(Lagos Branch) has appealed to the Akwa Ibom State government to relocate the site of the proposed airport from their domain, citing the perceived "negative impact" it will foist on the people if actualised.
In a letter to Governor Victor Attah captioned "Proposed Airport" and dated August 2, 2004 and copied to President Olusegun Obasanjo; the Aviation Minister, Mallam Isa Yuguda and Senator Udo Udoma, among others, the association
the entire people of Okopedi in Okobo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State were congratuling the governor "for the able and efficient way you have been paddling the national canoe conveying all the people of Great Akwa Ibom to the promised land".
"We are convinced that with added resources arising from the recent bill on Onshore and Offshore dichotomy, you will be able to transform our great state into one of the best ten states within the Federation of Nigeria.
The above compliments notwithstanding, we are faced with a very
serious and devastating development mitigating over our future and survival as a people", the letter noted.
The association observed that the community lies within 10 miles by the Trunk A Road to Oron, adding that besides, the major occupation of the area is farming and fishing.
"For the quest of development the left-hand side from Uyo has been taken by the Federal Government of Nigeria through our State Government for River BasinDevelopment. The only remaining land is on the right side of the road which is used by our people for farming.We have heard that the present farmland has been pencilled down by the state government for airport which if actualised will drive our people tonothingness and negative impact on the known occupation.
"The Akwa Ibom State Government is a listening one and as thus
we the under-signed, as the true representatives of our people have unavoidably decided to appeal to your Excellency for a change of heart and to source for airport land elsewhere. We should not lose sight that millions of our people trapped in Bakassi are staging come back home within the year as we do not want to lose them to the Cameroon.
"Their return means additional space of land, with state and Federal Government rehabilitation mechanism. It is even necessary for the Federal Government of Nigeria to build a mini estate of two to three bedrooms for allocation to the returnees in order to alleviate their sufferings under the present dispensation", the association noted.
The community stated that it was not unmindful of the existence of a mini airport in Eket built and developed by the Mobil Oil Nigeria Unlimited which caters for travel needs of the oil workers and citizens within the locality.
"For the purpose of convenience and safety, the state government can in its jurisdiction, assist Mobil in extending the run-way of the airport and provision of adequate Instrument Landing System and Radar to enable the airport take bigger aeroplanes like F.28 and B737. When this idea becomes desirable we will assist in the provision of qualified hands to assist the state in airport development project, within our limited resources.
"Finally we wish to reaffirm that the rehabilitation and survival of our people are very paramount in the face of current realities in the nation. Please accept the assurances of our highest consideration and esteem", the letter concluded.
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