By Abalaku Ezekiel & Kure Tashilane
Nasarawa State Governor Engineer Abdullahi Sule has revealed that negotiation are on going for the Federal Government of Nigeria to take over operation of Lafia Cargo Airport to ensure adequate utilization of the facility for the progress and development of the State for viable aviation business.
Engr. A.A Sule revealed the information in his address shortly after inaugurating members of Nasarawa State All Progressives Congress party (APC) Reconciliation Committee and Strategy Committee saddled with the task of reconciling aggrieved members of the party in the State who may have valid complains on the recently concluded primaries across the Nasarawa State.
“To build a 10b naira airport to just be looking at. We are working on how federal government could come in and partner with the State to take over the operation of the cargo airport – partnering does not means that the federal government is taking takeover by paying the State 10b naira, which is something we can follow up to be able to achieve that”, the Governor noted.
He stressed that the aim is not just to recoup the invested 10b naira back and leave the airport redundant, but to make sure that even after FG pays Nasarawa State Government, the airport will still be a source of revenue generation for the State after the Federal Government has recover its money. The idea is that, the facility should be put into use.
Engineer Sule explained that the airport cost the state government roughly 10b naira to construct and that Nasarawa State is not that wealthy to build a 10b naira airport and not to put it into meaningful use.
“Believe me, there are so many airports in Nigeria that had been built and people are just looking at them. Maybe those people can afford them, I don’t think Nasarawa State can afford such a waste.” Engr. Sule stated.
On how best to utilize the newly built Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Technical Institute Lafia, the Governor pointed out that:
“We have just concluded the processes of handing over the technical center to Industrial Training Funds (ITF), so that they could come in – take over and be training our own people using their own resources and their own funding to train Nasarawa State indigenes.”
