Buhari Government Denial Of Our Members Use Of Makurdi Airport Is Primitive Politics – PDP

BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the ban on its members’ use of the Makurdi Airport by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress Federal Government as primitive politics and impunity taken too far.

The PDP stressed that a government which does not promote but rather stiffles the freedom of citizens to travel and interact is not fit to continue in power, and must be voted out.

It noted that for some time now, the APC controlled Federal Government has deliberately imposed a selective ban on the Makurdi Airport which is the sole air travel window to and from Benue State.

This was contained in a statement by the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Bemgba Iortyom, who said that the ostensible reason given for the ban has been that the facility’s runway is being rehabilitated.

Iortyom however noted while members of the opposition and any group or individuals associated with them have been barred from using the airport, groups and individuals associated with the federal government have on the other hand been enjoying use of the same facility.

According to him; “During the burial of Late former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Iorgyer Katsina-Alu, the Federal Government delegation to the burial used the airport to travel in and out of the state. Also on the 17th day of October, 2018, a team from the Chief of Air Staff on a mission to Govt. House Makurdi had used the airport to travel in and out of the state.

“However, during this same period leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), intending to travel to the state have been denied use of the airport. Similarly, groups and organisations seeking to do business with the government and people of Benue State have been barred from using the airport, with one such case being the denial of landing rights to a United Nations team led by Ibn Chambas, who was billed to engage Benue stakeholders on free and fair elections. 

“This ban on the airport has also hampered the take-off of the Air travel partnership between the Benue State Government and Air Peace Limited which was billed to have seen to the commencement of flight operations to and from the state a few months ago.

“Only a couple of days back, this ban assumed a most primitive and injurious dimension when the CAF Champions League fixture between Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi and UMS de Loum of Cameroon had the venue shifted at the last minute from Makurdi to Enugu following a denial of use of the Makurdi Airport to transport the visiting Cameroonian team by air, in line with international football requirements.”

PDP further said that the development forced Lobi Stars to embark on a tedious high-risk night journey to Enugu to play the next day against the visiting Cameroonians who had been airlifted there, adding that in the true Benue spirit which has remained unbowed in the face of one persecution after another from the Buhari regime, Lobi Stars won the game by 2 goals to nil.

The Party said that it is most disheartening that President Buhari and his APC cohorts could conspire to deny Benue citizens the opportunity of watching their darling team, Lobi Stars, play in an international game, at a time such opportunity would have provided massive healing balm to the people whose spirits have been badly bruised and traumatised by the orgies of killings in the state which have taken place under the watch of the APC. 

Iortyom further said; “From all considerations this ban is reflective of intolerance and impunity at its possible worst, and is a direct violation of the rights of Benue people to have unfettered access to the opportunities for free travel and interaction with the outside world which the airport offers.

“Benue citizens whose right to free travel and interact which the Buhari led federal government has trampled upon must mobilise and vote out this most insensitive government from power at the 2019 elections.” 

The Party demanded that the Makurdi Airport be reopened without any further delay to serve the air travel needs of people wishing to travel in and out of the state.

In the words of Iortyom; “It is a right which should not be tampered with by a government which has shown an unbridled appetite for primitive politics of bitterness and vindictiveness.”