Bayelsa acquires two aircraft to commence operations at state’s airport

Bayelsa State Government has confirmed the procurement of two aircraft to commence commercial flight operations at the state’s airport.

Governor Douye Diri stated this on Monday during a courtesy visit of the Prime Minister of the State of Africa In Diaspora, Dr Tin Louise-George, to Government House, Yenagoa, saying the planes would soon arrive and would operate the Yenagoa, Lagos and Abuja routes.

Diri said his administration was determined to make the Bayelsa International Airport commercially effective for flight operations.

While welcoming Louise-George on his maiden visit to Nigeria and Bayelsa, he described the State of Africa in Diaspora as akin to Doctors Without Borders.

He said the state government was ready for partnership in the area of airport expansion and development of a smart city.

He said, “I heartily welcome you and your team to Bayelsa.”

Let me acknowledge that I had a fruitful virtual meeting with you and your team when I was recently in London, which was facilitated by my Technical Adviser, Prof Oweikumo Eradiri.

“As an African government without borders, we know you have a lot for us. My technical adviser had earlier presented the plans we have for developing our state. The airport is one of them, which certainly needs expansion.

“We are working on the airport in the area of ensuring there are regular, daily flights. We had an arrangement with a private airline, which we were supporting for flights to and fro Lagos and Abuja. But it got to a point where that arrangement almost collapsed, and the airport became virtually non-functional. Now we have taken the bull by the horns, and as we speak, we are expecting two aircraft, which the government has already procured. These aircraft would operate daily flights to Lagos and Abuja. So wherever you have an airport, constant electricity and water, it is as good as any place you stay to eke out a living.”

Eearlier, the Prime Minister of the State of Africa in Diaspora, Dr Tin Louise-George, proposed development support and funding for selected projects in the state through a cooperation agreement.

The Prime Minister said there were 350 million people of African descent living outside of Africa and that he had the mandate of the African Union to represent them.

He stated that besides the government, which he leads, a parliament and a royal chamber, there were programmes of action for development, with the objective to reinforce Africa through the diaspora and the diaspora through Africa.

He said the visit to Bayelsa was to explore areas of collaboration in aviation, provide support for a smart city, education and medical facilities, among other sectors.