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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Senator Benson Agadaga, representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has urged the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Air Force to urgently transform the abandoned Shell Airstrip, Oloibiri Oil Well One, Otuogidi into an air force base in Ogbia Local Government Area.
This followed a motion he moved on the floor of the Senate on the urgent need for transforming the abandoned airstrip.
Moving the motion, Agadaga, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Host Communities, lamented the prolonged silence and continued wastage of natural resources and infrastructure in the area where crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity in 1956.
Sen. Agadaga further disclosed that the site was constructed in 1958 at the Itokopiri bush, which served as a major investment in the oil sector during its heyday.
Chief Agadaga pointed out that the airstrip, sitting on over 25 hectares of land, should be quickly converted into an airstrip and base for the air force to guarantee peace and security in the state and the Niger Delta region in general.
Sen. Agadaga expressed worry that the Shell airstrip has been abandoned for over six decades despite the area’s contributions to the nation’s economy.
The Senator, while enumerating the benefits of the airstrip, pointed out that the move will tackle insecurity, promote employment opportunities, and give the people of Ogbia a sense of belonging due to its proximity to the ocean and the Gulf of Guinea.
Following the motion, the Senate resolved to urgently call on the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Air Force to look into the plight of the people and bring a lasting solution by putting the airstrip into use.
The Senate also urged the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPLC), Shell, and other International Oil Companies (IOCs) to contribute towards the successful execution of this project.
