Gombe to Upgrade Airport to International Standard

By Segun Awofadeji

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has stated that his administration will work with the National Assembly and relevant authorities to ensure the take over and standardisation of the Gombe airport by the federal government for the state to leverage on what it generates to provide more services to the people.

Yahaya stated this yesterday when he granted audience to members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation led by Senator Smart Adeyemi and Hon. Nnoli Nnaji, chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Aviation respectively.

The governor described the services rendered by the state airport as national and international, and therefore aligned with the standardisation of the airport through its complete take over by the federal government since the state does not have adequate resources to do so.

He said any improvement on the Gombe airport is not only for the state economy and social wellbeing, but that of the North-east sub-region and the country in general.

“We shall go to any length to see that we get reprieve with this airport and to see that there is an improvement on it for the people of the country,” Yahaya said.

The Governor described the mission of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation to Gombe State as a milestone for the people of the state and by extension the country, saying of all the previous efforts by successive administrations that changed the fortunes of Gombe State and brought the state to limelight, the airport stands out as one undisputed asset.

He, however, observed that despite the development the Gombe Airport brought to the state, the facility has placed huge financial burden on the state because government has consistently supported and funded it since its establishment.

k,kkThe governor said his earlier interface with the chairmen of the Aviation Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives was aimed at pushing for takeover of the facility by the federal government in order to standardise the facility and remove its burden on the state government.