On Saturday, the Nigerian Air Force appealed to the Gombe government to support ongoing works at its operational base in the state.

The chief of air staff, Hassan Abubakar, made the appeal when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Inuwa Yahaya during his one-day official engagement.

The operational base, the 109 Combat Reconnaissance Group of the Nigerian Air Force, occupies 230 hectares of land near the Gombe Airport in Lawanti, Akko LGA.

Mr Abubakar said that NAF had put much effort into making the base habitable for its officers and men. He, however, said there was still more to be achieved regarding 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 NAF later cleared.

According to him,  with the support of the state government, the base will be completed, and proper accommodation for its personnel will be provided.

The NAF boss said he came to assess the progress and challenges confronting the NAF base. He commended the Gombe government for its support and cooperation with NAF and other security agencies, which he said yielded 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 government.

Mr Yahaya commended NAF’s role in maintaining peace and security in Gombe State and the North-East.

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 air force operations in Gombe.

(NAN)