By Francis Nansak, Lafia
The recently declared refund of over Seven Billion Naira to the Nasarawa State government by the Federal Government of Nigeria is no doubt a good development, hence the taking over the lafia cargo airport for the use of military.
The Nasarawa State Government in the then administration of Dr, Senator ,Umaru Tanko Almakura initiated and constructed the airport with a view to serving as almost an annex airport to the existing airport in Abuja the federal capital territory, due to it proximity to the state.
This was however not completed before the expiration of that administration as it became completed by the incumbent administration of Engineer Abdullahi Sule,the succeeding governor of the state
President Muhammadu Buhari,early this year in a three day working visit to Nasarawa state and precisely in March commissioned the airport and declared it open for public use to be among functional airports in the country.
You would recalled that the project from inception was described by critic of the Almakura’s administration to be a white elephant project which is meant to siphoned government resources generated for use in the state,the then administration gave such critic a deaf ears it forged on with developing the site and handed it over to the incoming administration at almost 70% to completion.
It is also on record also that the Governor Abdullahi Sule,when sworn in promised that it will not hurriedly embarked on newer projects but ensure the completion of abandoned projects initiated by the previous government in the state.
This, the Engineer Sule administration did not deviated from as must of the abandoned projects initiated by his predecessors were completed,in exclusively,the incumbent governor completed the constructions of the popular Government House Banquet Hall and christened it after late ,Dr Aliyu Akwe Doma,a one time governor in the state.
He also completed the Government House lodge, the Lafia Skills and Acquisitions Center and the Lafia airport ,kwandere,among many others and not forgetting the initiation by his administration newer projects as roads a, school,markets and mega bus terminals which are fully completed and functioning.
However and at the wake of the federal government interest to take over the lafia airport and the proposed release of over #7.34 billion Naira as compensation to the Nasarawa State government,tongues are beginning to waxed instigating that the monies be use to settle some backlog of pensioners and civil servants arrears , especially the local government staff and retirees.
New National Star,report that Governor , Engineer Abdullahi Sule,who recently got the assurances of the federal government over the refund of monies use for the development of the airport,said he will used the funds to improved on the state infrastructure and roads constructions across the 13 local government areas.
A position that in some quarters , especially among retired staff of the state is view as an attempt to neglect their cries of about a decade.
A pundit in his view said the proposed refund to Nasarawa state government by the federal government is a welcome development,he however aligned himself with the civil servants especially the retirees ,who are seeking that Nasarawa State government take part of the refund for the settlement of arrears of pension in the state
The pundit further advised that while the position of the governor to utilizing the airport refunds to the state can be use for the development of infrastructure to modern standard is not out of placed ” infrastructure can only be appreciated by the living and where the citizens are still living in poverty the issue of infrastructure becomes needless.
” In Nasarawa State , majority of the people you see are retirees and likely bread winners to their families,therefore my candid advise to the governor will be that he should as much as he wants improvement to infrastructure in the state ,consider the plight of the civil servants especially the retirees,” he said.
An official of retirees in the state who refused his name on print beared his mind.He said although the governor have been trying since he came on board as the governor of the state ,but however appealed to him to use the funds to off set some of the backlogs of pensioners gratuity,he said what the government is giving to pensioners is too small,therefore it will be wish of he can use the money to offset pensioners in the state.
New National Star recalled that some pensioners in the state had seek for legal intervention over their unpaid benefits leading to freezing of the state account due to none payment of their benefit for year during the reign of the benefits,the state in the previous administration paid workers in percentage which also led to a three months industrial disharmony.