Not a few residents of Nasarawa State have continued to deride both the Federal Government and the state’s successive governments over the crippled state of the Lafia International Cargo Airport which has yet to commence full operation, even after it was inaugurated by former President, Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Retd), on February 24, 2022.
Arewa PUNCH recalls that Buhari, while he was on a 2-day working visit to the state, had inaugurated the airport project, which is located at the Kwandere community in Lafia Local Government Area of the state.
The cargo airport project was conceived and initiated in December 2015 during the second tenure of a former Governor of the state, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, who said he had the vision to open the state for investment opportunities.
The project which was estimated at about N10 bn also aimed at easing cargo traffic at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, because Nasarawa is the closest state bordering the FCT.
During the groundbreaking for the project, the former governor had explained that the conception of the project was informed by his administration’s desire to create a formidable platform for the transportation of both domestic and international passengers and goods for the socio-economic development of the state.
Al-Makura had added that the project would also serve as a springboard for easy evacuation of the abundant agricultural produce and solid mineral resources, which abound in large quantities in the state and assured the residents that the project when completed, will compete with any other standard cargo airport across the world.
The former governor anticipated a robust patronage of the airport while expressing optimism that it would open opportunities for more economic activities, employment generation, increased revenue inflow, as well as attract investors to the state.
However, the expectations of Al-Makura seem not to have come through as the Lafia Cargo Airport is yet to begin operation since the groundbreaking exercise.
Determined to keep alive the Al-Makura dream, the incumbent governor of the state, Abdullahi Sule, following his emergence on May 29, 2019, had set out to ensure the completion of the project.
It would be recalled that a maiden flight had landed at the airport on the same day that Sule was inaugurated into office as the executive governor of the state, suggesting that the airport was ready for use.
Regrettable, after making efforts for several months and finally being able to complete the project, Sule felt the need to partner with the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure the smooth running of the Cargo Airport, and to generate huge revenue to the state.
The move by the Governor informed the decision of the then Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to visit the Cargo Airport in a bid to have a first-hand assessment of the level of work done by the Nasarawa State government, with the bottomline being to ascertain if it was okay for the Federal Government to get involved.
Intetestingly, when the Minister landed in Lafia, he was full of praises for the Nasarawa State Governor, declaring that the state would be a tourism destination in the coming years.
According to him, “The cargo airport is about 80 per cent completed. Everything is ready except the control tower. An airport is very critical to the economic development of a state. Therefore, investing in this project is a very wise move by the people of Nasarawa state.
“An airport with a 2.2km length runway is open to the whole world. The beauty of an airport is that when it is built and classified, what is called NOTAM will be sent to airmen. Anywhere in the world, any aircraft that is probably in trouble will detect the airport and land safely. Any aircraft in distress around here can locate the airport for safe landing.
“The 2.2km runway is not small. It can take any plane for flight to anywhere in the world. I am glad that the state is ready and open to step up for tourism development,” Mohammed had heartily remarked.
Impressed by the efforts of the state government, the Federal Government sent another delegation to the state with a view of taking over the daily runnings of the airport.
A delegation from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning was led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Suzette Taylor-Lee Chee, to Lafia.
According to the leader of the FG team, the inspection was part of the processes expected to lead to the refund of the about N10 bn expended by the Nasarawa state government.
After the inspection, the leader of the delegation assured that in a matter of weeks, the ministry would get the Federal Executive Council’s approval for the disbursement of the money.
A visibly elated Sule, while responding, thanked the Federal Government, especially former President Buhari, for approving the takeover of the airport and also appreciated members of the team on the inspection visit.
Like Oliver Twist, he seized the opportunity to appeal to them to also consider the bypass road linking the airport with Keffi LGA, which was also initiated by the Umaru Tanko’s administration, adding that the road would provide an easy access to the airport by residents in that part of the state.
He said, “Even though that would be outside your responsibility, I will plead with you to also look at the road. I am happy you came on the road through Akwanga. But the former governor, as he was building the airport, began the construction of another road that will link to almost Keffi, which will now reduce almost one and a half hours of time from Abuja.
“That is the purpose of this airport, to link us to Abuja. It will not be for only the people of Nasarawa State. It will be for the people of Benue, Taraba, and other eastern and southern part of the country that come through Lafia.”
The Governor had informed that the airport refund of about N10 bn when received from the Federal Government would be used to build new roads, markets, equip schools, and for the construction of new hospitals in the state.
Sule had specifically said 50 per cent of the funds will be used to complete the Lafia/Keffi bypass linking the airport to the FCT, while the balance will be used in equipping three sciences and two technical schools, two new general hospitals, as well as construct modern markets in Nasarawa, Wamba, Awe and Toto LGAs of the state.
Again, the governor hailed Buhari for promising to refund the total amount of money expended by the state in the construction of the airport, and assured that the refund would be judiciously and prudently utilised in the development of basic infrastructure in the state.
“Your Excellency Sir, we are here today to show appreciation for the numerous projects executed by your administration, which Nasarawa State is among the great beneficiaries. We are here to specifically appreciate the benevolence of your administration and your personal indulgence for approving the takeover of the Lafia Airport,” he stated.
However, Arewa PUNCH investigations have revealed that months after the inspection of the airport, the promise to take over the airport and the thank you visit to the Villa, the refund has yet to be paid to Nasarawa State government.
The non refund of the fund and the poor dwindling monthly federal allocation to the state coupled with its very lean Internally generated revenue have all contributed to making the airport a non-functioning facility to date.
A top politician in the state with privileged information on the matter, while pleading anonymity, told Arewa PUNCH that the governor had been making efforts to get the airport working, and assured that the facility will soon commence full operation.
“The people of Nasarawa State should not lose hope. The cargo airport has come to stay. Some persons may think that the governor has been quiet about the matter, but I can tell you that since the project was inaugurated, he has been following up to ensure that it commences full operation, and I strongly believe that his efforts to get the airport working will not go in vain,” he said.
Meanwhile, shortly before finally exiting office, Buhari had renamed the Lafia Cargo Airport after the late Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio
When our correspondent visited the facility last Friday, heavily armed security personnel were seen guarding the facility in the lonely environment.
However, a view into the facility from outside showed an appreciable level of work on the control tower even though it didn’t seem completed.
Meanwhile, residents of the area have appealed to the federal and state governments to increase their efforts in ensuring that the airport commences full operation in the shortest possible time.
A resident of Kwanddere community, Abubakar Musa, said due to the abandonment of the facility, many indigenes who anticipated jobs at the airport were disappointed and still remained jobless, adding that the full operation of the project would boost the economic fortunes of the state.
He maintained, “We are aware that Nasarawa State has many indigenes and other residents who are graduates. We have been waiting for this airport to start working like other airports in the country. We will be very happy when it starts full operation because many people will get jobs in the airport. So, the government should look into the matter and make more efforts to ensure that the airport is functional.”
Another resident who simply identified herself as Mrs Liadi Yakubu, said many residents of the state had been patiently waiting for the airport to start functioning before they would establish their businesses in the environment, adding that the airport when functional, will help small businesses around Lafia LGA to grow.
“If this airport starts working, businesses around Lafia will improve. The population of Nasarawa State will also increase because many people will be coming in on a daily basis, and it will help in providing opportunities for the youths. So, we are still waiting patiently for the government to help us make the project a reality,” she said.
When our correspondent visited the office of the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Mu’azu Gosho, to get his reaction on why the airport has yet to commence operation despite its commissioning for close to two years, Gosho told our correspondent that he does not have the permission to speak on the airport project.
