NAF to partner Ekiti on cargo airport project ― COAS, Sadique Abubakar

The Nigeria Air Force has assured Ekiti State government of its readiness to partner with the government on its agro-allied airport project.

It will be recalled that the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika had in October last year turned the sod for the airport project which is expected to be completed in twenty-four months.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who made this known during a visit to Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Wednesday, hinted on the readiness to establish a security unit at the airport when it becomes fully operational.

Abubakar, who together with top officials of the Force had a meeting with Governor Fayemi and his team, said the visit was in continuation of the meeting the governor had with him at the Force Headquarters, Abuja last month, in respect of the cargo airport.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari was passionate about the security of the country, adding that this accounted for the establishment of about 13 units of the Force in different parts of the country in the last four and a half years. This, he said was in addition to the acquisition of more aircraft in the fleet.

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“Since the establishment of these units and other efforts by security agencies, we have seen substantial progress in terms of managing the security in those areas,” he said.

He added that the NAF had also within the time frame procured 22 aircraft to support other security agencies in combating crimes and making the country safe for people to legitimately carry out their businesses without hindrances.

Abubakar said: “I am very excited with this idea of a cargo airport in Ekiti. The potentials are enormous and I want to assure you again that the Nigeria Air Force will be most willing to be part of this. That is why we have everybody that is relevant to this here. In this entourage, we have Chief of General Operations that deals with the issue of flying; we have the Chief of Logistics who will look into the issue of ensuring that we get an apron and making sure that we have a small unit that takes care of the Airport by the time that it is fully operational.

“We also have the Director of Air Traffic Services who is also here to look into all the logistics relating to air traffic services, so I want to assure Your Excellency, the government and good people of Ekiti State, that the Nigeria Air Force is ready to work with you to ensure that you achieve the objective of the airport.”

Expressing optimism that the project would receive support from President Buhari Muhammadu, the Air Marshal said, “after this visit, we are going to put together papers and other arguments and I am sure that the way Mr President has always looked at the issue of security will give us an opportunity to have a unit that will support all that is going on here.”

Earlier, Governor Fayemi had disclosed that the establishment of the cargo airport would not only trigger the local economy but also provide support for the utilisation of the medical and biomedical resources available in the state.

The governor, who boasted that Ekiti has produced best minds in the medical profession with establishments outside the state, mentioned that the cargo airport would provide the opportunity to attract them back to the state to be of service to the people and humanity in general. NIGERIAN TRIBUNE