Oyo State Governor flags off construction of Air Force Base in Ibadan

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has performed the ground-breaking for the construction of the permanent base for the 671 Nigerian Air force Detachment at Ajia, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The land for the permanent base, which covers 58.58 hectares, was donated by the Oyo State government to the Nigerian Air Force NAF.

In his remarks before the symbolic turning of sod, Makinde announced a donation of N500 million to support the Air Force Base construction, while also assuring of other forms of support to hasten the completion of the project.

Makinde said the state government gave the support because the project keys into his administration’s plan on having a robust security architecture and expanding the state’s economy.

The governor appreciated the efforts of the security agencies operating in the state for discharging their duties diligently and promised that the state would continue to support them to achieve their true objectives, urging them to continue to remain true gentlemen in the discharge of their duties.

Makinde stated: “Let me, at this point, commend the efforts of our military personnel in the fight against insurgency, banditry, and other security threats in various parts of our country. I will always say that our security agencies often perform a thankless job. No one remembers you when there is peace, but people begin to ask what you were doing once there is a breach. So, let me say thank you.”

He added that the base would enhance the operational base of the Air Force and improve the response time of men of the Armed Forces to crises and criminalities.

At the event, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, said having a permanent base in Ibadan would address constraints in the unit’s responsiveness to security challenges in the state.

Amao stressed that the base would help the Air Force better perform its security mandate in the state and the extension of its reach to ensure security in the Southwest geopolitical zone.

He said: “Currently, the high density of air traffic operating on a daily basis from Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, inhibits military conduct of air operations in the Region. This new Base will therefore serve as a suitable alternative to Lagos airfield for the Nigerian Air Force to launch air operations in the Region seamlessly and more efficiently.”

The Chief of Air Staff noted that overtime the men of the Air Force have had to cope with staying in dispersed locations, a scenario he said would be addressed with the establishment of a permanent base.

Amao commended the Makinde-led administration for providing land for the project as well as assurance of support for the construction of the base and aircraft operations and lauded the Federal Government for supporting the Air Force with infrastructure and an enabling environment.

Specifically, he appreciated the Vice Chairman, House Committee on Air Force, Honourable Abass Agboworin, for being a veritable link between the Oyo State Government and the Nigerian Air Force towards the start of the project.

The event had in attendance the state deputy governor, Rauf Olaniyan; deputy speaker of the State Assembly, Honourable Abiodun Fadeyi; men of the Nigerian Air Force; members of the Oyo State Executive Council; former Chairman of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Bayo Oyero; Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Alao; traditional rulers and several other personalities.

Dominica Nwabufo