GOMBE- The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), on Saturday, appealed to the Gombe State government to support ongoing works at its Operational Base in the state.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, made the appeal when he paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State during his one-day official engagement in the state.
The operational base, known as 109 Combat Reconnaissance Group of the Nigerian Air Force, occupies 230 hectares of land near the Gombe Airport in Lawanti, Akko Local Government Area.
Abubakar said that NAF had made a lot of effort towards making the base habitable for its officers and men.
He, however, said that there was still more to be achieved in terms of additional accommodation, road network, water supply and electricity.
He said that the challenges at the base had forced some of its personnel to seek alternative accommodation, which resulted in huge hotel bills that were later cleared by NAF.
According to him, with the support of the state government, the base will be completed and will provide proper accommodation for its personnel.
The NAF boss said that he came to assess the progress so far, and the challenges confronting the NAF base in the state.
He commended the sate government for its support and cooperation with NAF and other security agencies, which he said was yielding the needed results, adding that the state was peaceful.
He restated the commitment of NAF to enhancing security and strengthening the collaboration with the Gombe State government.
Responding, Yahaya commended NAF’s role in maintaining peace and security in Gombe State and the Northeast region.
The governor, particularly, commended NAF’s sustained fight against insurgency, banditry and other criminal acts that threatened the peace and stability of Nigeria.
He attributed the state’s relative peace and stability to the efforts of the military and other security agencies.
He gave assurance of his administration’s continued support to NAF and other sister organisations.
The governor reiterated his commitment to providing necessary logistics and infrastructure support to aid the operations of the Air Force in the state.
“I assure you that we will continue to support the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies operating in Gombe State.
“At the NAF base, we will assist in building additional structures to accommodate your personnel and the facilities you deploy.
“We will provide water from Wuro Juli to supply the airport, the NAF base, Lawanti, Akko town, and other surrounding villages,” he said.
He said that the project was included in the 2024 budget of the state, and would be financed through a counterpart funding between the federal and state governments.
“I am directing the Commissioner of Water Resources to fast track the process for the commencement of work so that we can complete it before the year runs out ”, he said.(NAN)
