‘We have no record of Wasimi airport’ — NCAA reacts to Ogun airfield controversy

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says it has no record of Wasimi Cargo Airport in Ogun state.

Musa Nuhu, director-general of the NCAA, made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, during an interactive session with members of the senate committee on aviation.

There has been a controversy over the establishment of an airport in Ogun.

The tussle is between Dapo Abiodun, governor of the state, and Ibikunle Amosun, his predecessor and incumbent senator representing Ogun central.

While the governor seeks the construction of an airport in Sagamu, Amosun is bidding for the development of the airport in Wasimi, a town in Ewekoro local government area.

The Sagamu airport was initiated by Gbenga Daniel, former Ogun governor, in 2007. Rather than continue with the aviation project, Amosun commenced a different airport project in Wasimi.

The controversy between the senator and governor became clear when the senate committee visited the sites of the two proposed airports.

Speaking on the controversy, Nuhu said that NCAA is not aware of an airport in Wasimi as it only has record of Sagamu Cargo Airport.

“I was given the records of an approval issued in 2008 on behalf of the honourable minister for the establishment of an Ogun State Cargo Airport in Sagamu. Furthermore, I saw some documents in which the NCAA had interacted with them on that airport,” he said.

Nuhu noted that it is out of the NCAA’s jurisdiction to determine the number of airports a state can operate.

He said when he asked about document on Wasimi airport, “I was told that there is no such document with NCAA”.

Nuhu said although the ministry of aviation has granted approval for Wasimi project, the NCAA has no official document on it.

“It is not in our purview to determine for a state or any entity the number of airports they want to have. All we will do is to ensure that any airport built must comply with our regulatory requirements. That is our function,” he said.

“I have seen an approval from the ministry of aviation for Wasimi project. But in my records or in NCAA, I don’t have anything.”