Federal Government has hailed Abia State Governor Alex Otti for handing over the newly-built first-ever Nigerian Air Force Administrative Complex in Umuahia.
The facility was handed over to the Chief of Air Staff and the Minister of Defence at a ceremony in Umuahia.
Dr Otti said the security of lives and property remained the right of every resident.
He described the handover as a testament to the benefits of strong collaboration between the Federal Government and sub-national governments in advancing a shared security agenda.
The governor said the completion and handover of the facility demonstrated his administration’s resolve to leave no stone unturned in protecting the indigenes and visitors from security threats.
‘For us, the right to security for our people, whether they are residents or visitors, is non-negotiable,’ he said.
Otti described the arrival of Nigerian Air Force as ‘a dream come true,’ noting it completed the presence of armed forces in Abia State alongside Nigerian Army’s Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Barracks in Ohafia and Nigerian Navy College of Accounts and Finance in Owerinta.
He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of Nigerian Air Force for supporting the establishment of Air Force presence in the state.
He said Abia State Government would continue to provide support for the force to succeed in its operations.
The governor said the state had allocated 120 hectares at the ongoing Abia Airport construction project in Nsulu for the building of a permanent Nigerian Air Force Base.
He added that work on the project would begin immediately after the airport runway was completed.
Otti paid glowing tributes to the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, and the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Abiodun Lagbaja, for their support during the security challenges that followed the killing of soldiers in Abia in May 2024.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Kelvin Aneke, thanked Governor Otti for an unprecedented investment in national security.
He described the establishment of a permanent Nigerian Air Force presence in Abia State as a historic milestone that would strengthen security, expand operational capacity and stimulate socio-economic development across Southeast.
He said the development reflected Governor Otti’s visionary leadership and commitment to security, adding that the partnership between Abia State Government and Nigerian Air Force represented a model of effective civil-military collaboration.
General Musa (Rtd.) commended the Governor for his commitment to strengthening security through strategic investments, describing him as a leader whose actions speak louder than words.
He congratulated the government and people of Abia State on the commendable initiative, stressing that national security is a shared responsibility that requires the collective efforts of governments, security agencies, communities and citizens.
General Musa urged officers and personnel of Nigerian Air Force, who would be deployed in Abia State, to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and contribute positively to the state’s development.
Commissioner for Lands, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Navy Commander MacDonald Uba (Rtd.), described security as the bedrock of sustainable development.
They said Governor Otti’s administration had treated the protection of lives and property as a constitutional obligation and a key pillar of governance.
The complex comprised a fully furnished administrative complex with an auditorium, conference hall, clinic, armoury, registry, offices, kitchen, canteens and other operational facilities, alongside supporting structures, including a guardroom, quarter guard, gatehouse, observatory post and works unit.