Governor Alex Otti has appreciated the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hasan Abubakar for approving the establishment of an Air Force base in Abia.
Otti, who received the Chief of Air Staff and his delegation, who paid him an official visit, promised that the state government would provide land for them to site their operations.
He said that in the interim, a temporary site in Umuahia would be provided, while operational vehicles, official residence and other logistics required for the takeoff would be equally provided by the state government.
Governor Otti expressed optimism that the establishment of an Air Force base would be realised in the state to further enhance the security of lives and property of citizens.
“We will give you a temporary site in Umuahia and we will also provide residences for your men, vehicles for them to move around and any other things that they require, so I believe that we can achieve this in the next one to two months,” Otti assured.
He said that the federal government has already approved an airstrip to be sited in Abia, even as he attributed relative peace in Abia to the efforts of security agencies.
Otti further assured that the killers of Nigerian soldiers would be apprehended by his administration.
Earlier, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, said that his visit was to dialogue with the governor and explore opportunities for collaboration between the Nigerian Air Force and Abia State.
Abubakar requested the state government provide them with a parcel of land for the establishment of an Air Force base in Abia State to enhance security not only in Abia but the entire South East Zone, while also thanking the governor for his dedication to service.