The governor of Gombe State, Mr. Muhammadu Yahaya, has pledged to work with the national assembly and relevant authorities to ensure the take over and standardisation of the Gombe Airport by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) so that the state could leverage on what it generates to provide more services to the people.
Yahaya stated when with members of the national assembly joint committee on aviation led by Messrs Smart Adeyemi and Nnolim Nnaji, chairmen of the senate and house of representatives committees on aviation respectively visited the airport.
The governor described the services rendered by the state airport as national and international and therefore aligned with the standardisation of the facility for its takeover by the federal government since the state does not have adequate resources to manage it.
He said any improvement on the airport was not only for the state economy and social wellbeing but also that of the northeast geo-political zone 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,” he added.
Yahaya described the mission of the national assembly joint committee on aviation to the state as a milestone for the people of Gombe and by extension the country.
He said of all 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.
However, he said 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.”
The 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.
