TAKORADI AIR FORCE WORRIED OVER ENCROACHMENT ON STATION'S LAND (PAGE 25)

PUBLISHED MARCH 20

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Takoradi

The Takoradi Air Force Station Commander, Air Commodore M. Samson-Oje, has expressed grave concern about the serious encroachment on the lands of the station, a situation which is likely to militate against the future expansion of the Takoradi Airport.
He said the greater part of the aerodrome’s land had been taken over by various types of settlers and farming activities.
"If we allow the encroachment future expansion would be difficult," he emphasised.
"When the government acquired the land it was a very big area but due to encroachment it has reduced," he explained.
Air Commodore Samson-Oje was answering questions after briefing members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport who were at the Takoradi Airport to acquaint themselves with the progress of the rehabilitation works at the airport.
He said as a result of the settlements and farming activities on the land, waterways as well as drainage systems had been blocked creating stagnant water bodies in the area, attracting vultures and crows to the runway which is also a security threat.
The station commander said he intended to build about 10 weapon sheds and a military range to scare the encroachers away from the land.
Briefing the committee earlier, Air Commodore Samson-Oje stressed that the rehabilitation works had completely given a new face to the airport after so many years of neglect.
He said the construction of the new VIP lounge had been completed and handed over, adding "I must congratulate Consar Construction Company Ltd. on the good work it did”.
However, he observed that although the VIP lounge was similar to the other two in Tamale and Kumasi, the building lacked any physical security barrier as was the case of the other two.
He, therefore, recommended that burglar proof be installed to prevent unlawful entry.
He said the passenger lounge had witnessed a major transformation, adding: "It is fitted with modern furnishing, several ablution facilities, X-ray machines for the screening of passengers’ luggage and a kitchen.
He said a section of the passengers lounge was observed to be leaking seriously during the recent downpour and that the consultants had been notified.
Air Commodore Samson-Oje said the old wooden frame tower block had been replaced with a modern glass and steel one, while an ablution area had also been added. "The replacement of the opaque glass with a tinted one and the additional air-conditioner promised are the outstanding jobs yet to be accomplished," he said.
He said the contractors, Sonitra Construction Ltd., had finished the first phase of the rehabilitation work on the runway as promised and that the second phase had begun.
The outstanding jobs, he said, included additional layers for the first 1,000-metre runway 22, the grassing of the runway’s shoulders which was in progress, the cutting of the runway in four areas to allow for electric wiring, the fitting of permanent runway lighting as well as the fencing of the runway and runway markings.
One main problem which has hampered the progress of work by the contractor has been the bad drainage system around the airfield. ‘De-silting’ of the main runway gutters was done but inflow from the city, carrying all kinds of materials has clogged the area around runway 22, making it difficult to deliver a good finished product.
"The Air Force has invited the city engineers to a meeting to iron out the issue since Sonitra has made it clear that that is a way out of the contract.
"Our cry to have the airport fenced has received the Minister of Aviation’s attention and approval for a U-shaped fence to be built to prevent the crossing of the runway and grazing along the runway’s shoulders by animals. However, this is yet to be accomplished by Sonitra", he said.
He said the airfield was served by a standby electronic generator, whose capacity was limited and that the Ghana Armed Forces as promised by the Ministry of Defence, had provided another 2.5 megawatt capacity generator which was being installed.
Air Commodore Samson-Oje said the main road from the Air Force Station linking the city was yet to be fully tarred and that "Sonitra arduously performed a face saving miracle before the CAN 2008 tournament, but this was over only 200 metres. There is the need to clarify if the road linking the city forms part of the package".
The Minister of Aviation, Ms Gloria Akuffo, said the ministry had a problem with documentation as most of the lands acquired by the government were not documented, adding: "We have no documents to prove the title".
Responding to a question on whether the Takoradi Airport needed expansion, she said at the moment there was no need for the expansion of the airport until it became very necessary.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport, Mr Albert Aubbin, explained that the committee had responsibility over the Ministries of Transportation, Ports, Habours and Railways and Aviation.
He said the committee had gone round to inspect the stage of the re-habilitation works at the airports and to appreciate the problems associated with the works for the committee to brief parliament.