•Declares NAF runway rehabilitation to boost fight against oil theft, pipeline vandalism
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the security of the state was inseparable from the security and economic survival of Nigeria, given the state’s strategic position as the heart of the nation’s oil and gas industry.
Fubara stated this yesterday at the inauguration of the rehabilitated runway at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Port Harcourt.
He described the project as a demonstration of the strength of collaboration between the state government and the military in confronting national security challenges.
The governor said the rehabilitation would enhance the operational capacity of the NAF in the South-south, particularly in responding to threats against critical national assets and infrastructure.
“What we commission this day is more than concrete and asphalt. It is a statement of intent, a declaration that Rivers State stands firmly with those who stand guard over Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, national security remained the foundation upon which economic growth and development are built, stressing that there could be no thriving economy without adequate security.
Fubara said the strategic importance of Rivers State made it imperative for the state government to support security agencies responsible for protecting the nation’s economic assets.
“Rivers State occupies a strategic position in the economic life of this nation. As the heart of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, our communities, our waterways, our industries and our infrastructure carry a burden of national significance.
“The security of Rivers State is therefore inseparable from the security of Nigeria itself,” he said, adding that the rehabilitated runway would provide immediate operational benefits, including improved safety and efficiency of aerial operations and stronger rapid-response capabilities across the region.
The governor further said the facility would support the federal government’s efforts to combat economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, including crude oil theft, illegal refining and pipeline vandalism.
Fubara also commended President Bola Tinubu for strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture, noting that security was a collective responsibility requiring effective collaboration between the federal and state governments.
The governor said the partnership between Rivers State and the NAF extended beyond infrastructure to supporting the welfare and operational effectiveness of military personnel serving in the state.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, however, commended the Rivers State Government for rehabilitating the runway, describing the project as an “eloquent testimony” to the robust partnership between the NAF and the state government.
Aneke, who performed the inauguration said the new facility would enhance the Air Force’s capacity to protect critical national assets and infrastructure in Rivers State.
He described the rehabilitation as timely and critical to ongoing air operations, training and disaster-response missions in the South-South region.