The authorities in Warrap State on Wednesday confirmed to this publication that construction works at the site of Akon International Airport in Gogrial West County have stopped since last year.
According to a local official, an indigenous company, Wunkoc Construction Company, owned by Bak Mayen, a businessman who hails from Warrap’s Twic County, was contracted to build the airport, which is situated in the hometown of President Salva Kiir. Construction started in 2023 during the tenure of Hussein Abdalbagi Akol as vice president in charge of the service cluster.
Gogrial West County Commissioner Victor Wek Koordit told Radio Tamazuj that construction stopped in 2024 and that they were not briefed by the contractor.
“There is no progress at Akon International Airport in terms of construction, and this could be due to a lack of money,” he stated. “Wunkoc Construction Company stopped work last year and but there is hope that the company will resume operations. A budget deficit could be the reason why the company stopped work.”
The commissioner said all the company’s heavy vehicles and other materials are still on site and asked the public to disregard rumors that they had been removed.
“I would like to assure the people of Gogrial West County and neighboring areas that they should not listen to propaganda being spread on social media that the materials were taken from the construction site,” he said. “This is a lie spread by enemies of peace who take photos from swampy areas and post them, claiming that it is the airport that is flooded. The airport is good, even the runway that was finished is good.”
“I urge you, the people of Warrap State, to respect the government and have hope that the work will soon be completed because this airport will benefit all of us,” Commissioner Wek added.
He opined that work might have stalled due to a lack of certain construction materials, saying some items were procured internationally. He appealed to the national government to procure the services of a competent company to complete the work.
“I am appealing to the government to select a construction company which is financially stable and whose proprietor has a sense of nationalism and will continue with work even if there are payment delays,” Wek said.
Meanwhile, Amiir Amet, the Warrap State physical infrastructure minister, confirmed that work at the airport site had stopped but said she did not know why.
“The former minister knew everything about the construction of the airport, when it started, and why it stopped. I do not know anything because I was appointed in January this year,” she said. “The governor knows everything about it because it is a national project, it is not under my ministry. We were just accompanying the former vice president in charge of the service cluster to the site when he came from Juba for assessment.”
For his part, Warrap State Information Minister Mamer Bath admitted not knowing the goings on at the site of Akon International Airport.
“No, I cannot update you on the progress of Akon International Airport because I do not have full information, but I will find out from relevant ministries like the Ministry of Roads and Bridges and the Ministry of Housing,” he said.