Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, has approved 230 hectares of land for the establishment of Air Force operational base in the state.
Yahaya disclosed this in Gombe on Tuesday when he received a delegation from the Air Force on a courtesy call.
“The establishment of Air Force operational base is a welcome development. We have offered 230 hectares of land close to the airport for the project.
“The establishment of the base will boost security and solidify the relationship between the state and other security agencies,” he said.
He said that the decision of the Air Force to establish an operational base in the state was laudable in view of the centrality of the state, sharing boundaries with states in the North East sub region.
According to him, the geographical location of Gombe gave it a security advantage in strategising for other states in the zone.
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He said that the state had suffered some disadvantages in the fight against insurgency in North East, as it had to host displaced people, and this had stretched infrastructures and resources.
Mr Dauda Batari, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Ethical Orientation, also said that the citing of the operational base in Gombe would help to improve security.
Batari lauded the Chief of Air Staff, AM Sadique Abubakar for considering the state as a suitable location for operational base.
AVM Idi Lubo, the leader of the delegation as well as the representative of Abubakar acknowledged that Gombe was strategic, hence the location of the operational base there.
He said that he knew the role Gombe State played in the stability of the region, therefore, the Chief of Staff sought the governor’ s approval to establish the operational base.
NAN
