By Ime Akpan
Lagos
Supervising minister of aviation, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has said that the federal government had deliberately built the biggest cargo terminal for perishable and fresh farm products at the Makurdi Airport because Benue State produces a lot of food in the country.
Ortom stated this in Makurdi following the closed door meeting that he had with the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Saleh Dunoma and other officials of the ministry, and the Air Officer Commanding the Makurdi Air Force Base, Air Vice-Marshal U.A. Umeiza.
He said the ministry was meeting with the air force authorities to discuss issues bordering on the security implication of building the cargo facility in an airport that is not exclusively for civil aviation.
He said the ministry would work with the air force to address the concern issues arising from its (air force’s) concern bordering on security.
“We are determined to making these facilities in Makurdi functional because this is the food basket of the nation. The transformation agenda will make a lot of difference in the life of Benue people.
“We have some challenges because it is a military environment and not a civil airport exclusively. The ministry is discussing with the authorities and the challenges will be addressed as soon as possible.
“We must recognise that this is a military base; there are issues of security and for those of us, who are not security experts, we have no authority over security issues and when they are raised, we have to respect the views of the security professionals and that is exactly what we are doing.
