Reps urge revival of Ohimini-Otukpo airstrip in Benue

The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Air Force to begin the process of reviving and constructing the Ohimini-Otukpo Airstrip in Benue State.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Onuh Onyeche during plenary, presided over by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

The House also mandated its Committee on Aviation to ensure that the airstrip revival project is included in the 2027 budget estimates.

Moving the motion, Onyeche noted that Ohimini Local Government Area was formerly part of Otukpo Local Government Area before it was created in 1996.

She recalled that approval for the construction of an airstrip at Ojali was granted in 1972, with Certificate of Occupancy Plot No. 299/OJ-OT allocated to the Federal Ministry of Aviation for the project.

The lawmaker further recalled that the late former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and the then Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, made efforts in 2019 to revive the airstrip, but the initiative did not materialise.

She expressed concern that the airstrip site, Plot No. 299/OJ-OT, remains Federal Government property lying fallow, thereby encouraging encroachment by land grabbers.

According to Onyeche, reviving the airstrip would benefit the host community and strengthen the operational capacity of the Nigerian Air Force in addressing the growing insecurity and banditry in the area.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a site inspection of the Ojali location in Ohimini Local Government Area and submit an implementation plan for the revival of the airstrip.

The House also called on the relevant authorities to engage representatives of the Ohimini community, youth groups and traditional rulers to address possible compensation issues, build community support and ensure the smooth execution of the project.

It further urged the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force, to establish an operational liaison desk to integrate the Ohimini-Otukpo Airstrip into national security operations, humanitarian response and agricultural logistics.

The House mandated its Committee on Aviation to ensure that the airstrip revival project is captured in the 2027 budget estimates.