The governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson has said that commercial flights will start at the newly-built Bayelsa International Cargo/Passenger Airport in June.
Dickson who stated this today when he hosted the Air Officer Commanding Mobility Command, Yenagoa, Air Vice Marshall Uburufih Peter-Uzezi and other officers said the airport would have flights from Abuja and Lagos.
He said the state government had intensified efforts to complete the fencing of the airport to prevent animals from straying into the runway.
He commended the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for the partnership to secure the airport by deploying its personnel to the facility.
Dickson also commended the officers and men of the Air Force for their exemplary conduct and professionalism during the last election.
He said the Air Force personnel had shown in clear terms that they are disciplined, well-trained and are alive not only to their duties, the people and country but also to their own code of conduct.
“During the elections in this state, soldiers turned themselves to be agents of political actors in the All progressives Congress (APC) and may that day never come in our country when all organs, especially of the security apparatus, will or are expected to become political operators; may that day never come in this country.
“Time and time again, I have had the unpleasant duty of leading and mobilising this state to go for peaceful elections, only to be confronted by agents of the Nigerian state that should be apolitical, playing active political roles, killing, maiming and terrorizing our people.
“Some days back, we had to bury two young men murdered by a combination of the APC, the Nigeria Army, State Security Service, working against the stability of this state.
In all of this brigandage by the Army, the SSS, and the police, I am not aware of any involvement any officer of the Nigeria Air Force,” he said.
In his remarks, Peter-Uzezi, said the Air Force would soon start flying its aircraft into the new airport to create confidence for flight operators and to show that the facility is safe for business.
Peter-Uzezi commended the governor for his developmental strides in every sector of the state, including the construction of the airport with the longest runway in the country and for partnering the Air Force and its sister organisations.
He appealed for the release of funds for the completion of the Community Secondary School in Zarama, Biseni, Yenagoa local government area, which was offered to the Air Force for siting a secondary school which is expected to commence academy work in September.
