By
Anas Sani Anka
I could remember sometimes in 201 I, I have the opportunity of having one-on-one interview with former Zamfara Governor Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi and I took my time to ask Dallatun Zamfara what was his reason behind initiating the idea of Gusau international cargo airport.
Mahmuda Shinkafi in detail terms explained in the interview that the idea was born out of the passionate desire to connect our agricultural and solid mineral potential areas to the opportunities that are available on the international space.
He stated in that interview that, the initial idea behind the setting up of the Gusau cargo airport was to encourage Zamfara farmers and livestock breeders with the opportunity to boost their agricultural production and also help them access market opportunities outside the country.
He also raised in the interview the idea of constructing a mega dam along river Bunsuru so that large scale agricultural production for market opportunities beyond the show of Africa can be enhanced.
Dallatu also stated in the interview that, availing foreign direct investors with the opportunity to access variety of solid mineral deposits was another rationale behind the idea of Gusau International Cargo airport.
He also insisted that his government perceived the idea of Cargo airport alongside the investment house so that trading in commercial strength involving solid minerals and agricultural produce can be harnessed within the investment house; hence the state can have access to the accurate data on the stock of solid minerals mined out of the state, quantity of agricultural products traded out of the state and also the inventory of revenue accrued by the state through these series of investments.
The idea sound miraclous when Dallatu was explaining and for people like me who owns the belief that cargo airport project for state like Zamfara was a waste begin to see the slightest reason why we have to lower down our argument we considered too strong and pray for it to happened since God almighty has not uses Dallatu to make the project a reality.
But notwithstanding, I still believed the level Dallatu is viewing the economic strength of Zamfara is still per from the reality despite the fact that our social and economic indicators especially those that relates to poverty, unemployment, social insecurity among others as at that time were looking to weak to reckon a realistic hope.
When former Governor Yaro came I think he has not done much to prioritize the airport project I think not until after he left office we begin to hear stories that some amount of money raising to the tune of about N2B was spent in the same Gusau cargo airport project abandoned by Dallatu.
I could remember that it was either the late Ahmad Zabarma committee that investigated the state government expenditure under former Governor Yari or the Malam Wakkala transition committee that once indicted the Yari administration for claiming to have expended the sum of N2b for the same airport project.
When former Governor Matawalle came he did not only prioritize the Gusau airport project shows some signs of seriousness from the beginning by mobilizing the contractor to the site and released funds for the continuation of the project.
But not going too distance space, the project almost crashed and the corrupt allegations that trailed the who project became something very disgracing.
The crisis with the Matawalle administration spending over N5b for the same airport which is in its current status is still suspicious in the mind of Zamfara people.
Whether the amount allegedly spent by the Matawalle government in continuing the airport are truly invested for the project or something else went through the back-door only time will prove that one.
Now to let the matter to rest, and to save Zamfara from the lost it has incurred in the name of the airport project the Dauda administration should endeavor to take project to completion since giant expenditures using the state taxpayers money to the tune of about N8b is claimed to have been expended since the project started.
On the argument of using over N60b to reconstruct the airport by the current government, I may don’t want to comment because I am yet to read any document where that figure was officially captured or watch a video clip where the Governor or clearly mention such amount as the cost of completing the airport project but for good or bad, the airport project need to be taken to the end so that everyone can rest for a while.
If not for anything, at least we can join the comity of other states that owns an airport and which in the future when our economic strength improves we can reap the benefits of having the facility.
I will also advise His Excellency to kindly contact former Governor Mahmuda Shinkafi for him to be able to access the master plan behind the Cargo Airport, since he said in that interview I had with him that he has provided a blueprint that guides the initiation of the airport idea.
Meanwhile, the Government should work harder to add more to its fight against armed bandits aimed at securing the state and also develop strategy of communicating to the outside world on the successes recorded in making Zamfara state secured so that foreign direct investors can take advantage of the infrastructural investment so far ongoing to connect back withthe state.
I expect that, the state government led by Dauda Lawal will do it’s best within the scarce resources to complete the abandoned investment house also so that the economic chain between the proposed airport and investment house can be reconnected and strengthen.
Since a new foundation laying ceremony of the airport was done on Thursday, 20th day of January 2024, we pray that God almighty shall see us through the challenges that may come along the implementation of the airport project.
