The Chief Executive Officer, Odengene Air-Shuttle Services (OAS), Captain Evarest Nnaji (Odengene) has stated that the only chance the South East Region has in achieving its economic potentials is by exploring the opportunities available to it in the aviation sector.
Captain Nnaji stated this on Thursday at ‘The Aviation Career Meet’ held in Enugu.
The aviation guru who was also the keynote speaker and the special guest of honour at the event said the region has to focus on the aviation industry as the possibility of having a seaport is a tall dream that’s near impossible.
He said that getting Onitsha River to be at par with the Atlantic ocean will involve a lot of work which the cost implications will scare any government away from embarking upon.
The OAS Boss further stated that the physical national assets (oil and gas) under the sea that will be destroyed in effort to dig the River Niger are enormous and no one is ready to spoil any of those assets.
He said that the second Niger bridge is a testament that the possibility of digging the River Niger and allowing a ship come in is foreclosed because those that designed the bridge knew that no ship is coming through it and the heights provided in the design says it all.
After enunciating this sad reality on the possibility of having a sea port in the South East, he encouraged the region to look towards the aviation industry, adding that some other countries of the world are existing without a seaport and they are doing well.
“Ndigbo must understand this and take aviation very serious as the alternative way to develop their place.
If you look at the fact that we have an airport with a 3km runway inside the city of Enugu State, this place can be the hub for huge international flights, carrying cargo and there’s nothing you can’t bring in by air.”
Chief Nnaji stated that there are aeroplanes in the world today that can take off from Enugu today and land in any part of the world and vise versa.
On the issue of cost, he said with the amount of turnover Air fleet gives when compared to using ship and cargos for movement of goods, it gives more profit annually.
He also encouraged the students present at the event to think about taking up a carrier in the aviation industry, because it offers them a better and brighter opportunity of earning descent salaries while revealing that an American University is ready to partner with Coal City University to offer a degree programme in aviation.
