- Military regime built an airstrip in Ogurugu, Enugu state
- The airstrip was abandoned following total neglect of the facility by the successive administrations
- Igbo Nsukka United, a sociocultural group in Enugu moves to revive the project, appeals to the state and Federal governments
For the people of Ogurugu community, Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu, nothing good seems to be seen in their area as far as government presence is concerned.
Located at the extreme west of the council area and about 100km away from the headquarters of the council area, Umulokpa, Ogurugu said to be living in isolation and deprivation.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that for every government presence that is seen in the community, it is usually left in ruins and abandonment.
However, of all the ones that has remained a source of concern is the Sea-port whose idea was conceived, hatched and subsequently abandoned few months after its establishment.
Few weeks ago, some delegation from the Igbo Nsukka United Front sent a delegation to see how the project could be once again brought to the attention of the Federal government with a view to reviving the project.
In any case, speaking to WITHIN NIGERIA, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Onyeke C. Onyeke told our reporter that “the quest to revitalize rejuvenate and re-galvarnize Igbo Nsukka to reclaim all her lost glory and treasures, IGBO NSUKKA UNITED FRONT sent a delegation to the coastal town of Ogurugu in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu State for on-the-spot assessment of what is left of the only Sea-Port used by the Colonialists in Northern Igbo Land and the Airport, initially started as an Aerodrome by the Military Regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo.”
Speaking further, Mr. Onyeke said that “what our delegation discovered in the course of the voyage is enough to make a giant break down in tears. Ogurugu, a coastal town which, if it had been handled differently by the succeeding governments, should today be at similar level of development and city awareness with Onitsha Anambra State because of its (Ogurugu) historical connection with the early European (whitemen) traders, the UAC, JOHN HOLT etc who traded in local produce like Palm Oil, Palm kernel, timber logging, fishes etc. All these goods/wares were either produced or brought to Ogurugu port from all over Igbo Nsukka from where they were shipped to Onitsha, Lokoja and outside world.”
Asked if the town has the capacity to sustain an airport, Onyeke told WITHIN NIGERIA that “unfortunately, today the Ogurugu town is a ghost of itself, and the aerodrome has become artifacts of European presence littered the town.
“Airport in Ogurugu Uzouwani may sound like story from the space or a fairytale but it’s empirically true and real. It was an Airport said to be awarded by the Military regime of Gen Olusegun Obasanjo. At the airport, we found solid structures in a vast expanse of land. We found the runway, the tarmac, the control stations and other things that make up an Airport or Airstrip with a glaring evidence, that the facility has suffered total abandonment, deterioration and looting.
Explaining, Onyeke said that “the most surprising finding we made at the Airport was the conversion of the Aerodrome facility to personal use by the former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Charles Ugwu. It was revealed that he was using it for milling and re-bagging of rice, using his Company name, Tara Agro Company Ltd.”
However, in our chat with one of the community dwellers, Godwin Anikwe, he narrated that the situation has literally put the community in a state of abandonment.
“You can imagine that our community is seen as dumpsite of abandoned projects. Remember also that as coastal area, it could have transformed our community to a developed area where both the government and community could go into shipping or exportation of agricultural products.”
Also speaking to WITHIN NIGERIA, n our chat with a community leader named Onwueme Moses who happens to be the son of the Eze Ala that donated the land to the Federal Government for the construction of the Airport between 1977 and 1978, we were made to understand that a man named Clement Chinedu from Imo state claimed that he bought the facility from the Federal Government and sold it to the former Minister, Charles Ugwu, the Director of Tara Agro company.
We also got privy information that the former Minister doesn’t want people to know about the existence of such a facility.
In our interview with one of the supervisors that worked at the Airport in the 70s, he noted that work stopped at the Airport at the inception of a new government in 1979 and the then civilian government shifted focus away from Ogurugu airport project to other places with the same development strides.
Mr. Onyeke further told WITHIN NIGERIA that “We, in Igbo Nsukka United Front , have resolved to take further steps and get clarifications on how the land was acquired by the Federal Government, and why such expanse of land given to the government by the community for developmental purposes should be converted to private use by the former Minister.
The Ogurugu Sea-Jetty(seaport)
WITHIN NIGERIA also discovered on a visit to the area that another big modern facility in Ogurugu town that has been abandoned is the Ogurugu inland Sea Port from where Colonialists entered Northern Igbo Land and where the entire Igbo nation in this side of the world traded their goods and transported their agricultural products to the outside world especially, through Onitsha in Anambra state.
Our reporter was also shown debris of what is left of the Commercial Bank used by Colonialists and Igbo Traders at the Port for transactions in Ogurugu.
Speaking to another member of the United Front, Mr. Kelvin Odo, he told our reporter that “from the facts we gathered, the proper reconstruction of the Sea Jetty and the proper dredging of the Omambala/Mabolo River was attracted by our immediate past Governor, Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi when he was the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Marine and Ports Authority. Ugwuanyi ensured that the development of the sea jetty commenced in earnest with some construction on the ground.
“However, the locals we chatted with, stated that work is no longer going on at the Sea Jetty and that they do not know why such life-saving and sustaining facility should be abandoned.
“We shall endeavor to interrogate the cause of the abandonment and interface with the relevant Authorities and individuals in order to get the sea-jetty re-started all over again for the economic growth and development of our area and empowerment of our people.”
Expressing his displeasure further, Mr. Odoh said that “it is heart-rending that Oil Fields situated under Iggah Land, few kilometers away from Ogurugu are today said to be in Anambra State and Anambra State indigenous Oil Company, ORIENT extracting Oil under the Iggah Land.
“Till today, Ndi Igbo Nsukka nay Ndi Enugu State are yet to be told why former President Goodluck Jonathan should commission the Oil Fields at Iggah Community and Anambra State is enjoying the dividends and at same time declared Anambra Oil Producing State, instead of Enugu State where the Oil fields are located! The benefits of an oil producing state can never be over-emphasised and such benefits should indeed come to Enugu State and not Anambra State.
“We therefore call on all well-meaning sons and daughters of Igbo Nsukka and also the Enugu State Govermnent under our able leader, Barr. Peter Mbah to rise and take a critical look into this outright intimidation and unlawful siphoning of our natural resources at Iggah and also draw attention into the abandoned Ogurugu Airport, Ogurugu Sea Jetty and other similar projects.
“It’s not yet too late in the day to do the needful and properly interrogate what actually happened in those aforementioned abandoned projects.”
However, all efforts by our reporter to get the reaction of Enugu state Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr. Felix Nnamani proved abortive as he could not pick his calls when our reporter called.