Politics of shutting down Akanu Ibiam International Airport

The politics of shutting down Akanu Ibiam International Airport
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By Odumodu Gbulagu

The worst thing that can happen to a man is for an oppressor to clearly deny him the knowledge of his history by tactically erasing it, so that the future generation won’t know the truth.
To achieve this, they make the oppressed think he’s the oppressor with little brainwashing.

Teaching of history in Nigeria schools wasn’t stopped for nothing, and the intended reason so far has been having full effect.

It’s no news that the federal government wanted to close down the airport indefinitely, and after some measures put in place by Enugu state government and the pressure from Southeast politicians and governors, decided to close it for 3 months for repair works.

I have carefully listened to the views of some of our Igbo brothers, especially the ones in the ruling APC on the reasons the federal government gave for the intended indefinite shutdown of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, and in all honesty one can’t be faulted if he says that their brains have been looted.

Some of them advanced that the airport floods whenever it rains, but pictures of Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos circulated online few weeks ago with mini River because of rain, yet nobody has advocated the indefinite shutdown of the airport.

Some said it was because of the meat market close to the airport, and I wonder if they suddenly woke up and realized that there’s a meat market there.
The market had been there for decades, yet no airplane ✈ bird incident had been recorded.
Some said it’s because of telecommunications mast along the routes, and I ask if they just realized there’s telecommunications mast along that route.

Read Also: The hatred and fear of the Igbos II

The truth is that the plans to shutdown the airport can be traced to Nigeria/Biafra civil war.
There was an evil agreement not to give the Igbos direct access to the world.
Such clandestine punishment for fighting the war is still the reason why no Port in the old eastern region is functional, and any effort to make it functional is frustrated by the federal government and powers that be.
Other Presidents may overlook it, but Buhari will do everything in his powers to close it down and the deny the 5%ers that route to the world.
There’s no gainsaying that he hates everything that is not Fulani, but have special hatred for the Igbos.

The powers that be were not happy when Goodluck Jonathan upgraded it to international status.
To fight it, they made flying from Enugu much more exorbitant than flying from Lagos.
For instance, If From Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu to JFK is 2,200 dollars, flying from Murtala Mohammed International Airport to the same JFK will be about 1,600 dollars.

All these were to demarket it and to make sure Igbos use Lagos and Abuja.
Igbos constitute a major chunk of air travelers in Nigeria, but they are not allowed direct route to their place, and when they allowed, they restricted it to only Ethiopian airline, and even used prices to kill it off.

Even when Enugu state Governor moved the meat market, and dismantled communication masts, yet they are hellbent on still closing it down for 3 months because of repair checks from experts have shown would not exceed one month maximum.

It’s very pertinent for our generation to read more, and at least find out some truths that are hidden from them.
There are information that can’t be found online, but they are carefully hidden in the pages of books.
They are the reasons why Europeans said: “If you want to hide something from a black man, put it in the pages of books.

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