‘Bayelsa N40bn International Cargo Airport Ready’

The Bayelsa State Government said it had spent about N40 billion naira to complete the State International Cargo Airport.
The International Cargo Airport with the longest runway in the country; about 5.6 kilometer, will be commissioned on the 27th August, 2018.
The Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government Mr. Kemela Okara, who disclosed this, Tuesday when he spoke to aviation correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, said the airport would boost the economy of the state.
The Airport project, he further disclosed, had been an expensive one because of the Niger Delta terrain that needed much sand filling and all that was required to make the airport one of the best in the country.
According to Okara, the Bayelsa International Cargo Airport at Amasoma Town, has the longest runway in the country.
He explained that the investment in the airport project, was a classified one and significant because it would serve as a gateway that would take the state to the world.
“When commissioned, the airport will enable people fly directly to the state and also serve as a gateway that will take the state to the world.
According to the SSG, the successes and progress recorded in the airport project and other sectors in the state, was due to the passion the State Governor, Chief Seriake Dickson, had for the transformation of the state right from the inception of the administration in 2012.
The governor, he pointed out, had a clear idea of what to do as to create a positive revolution in the state and especially in the education sector.
“He knew what to do and created a revolution in the education sector when he earmarked about N6 billion in the sector and today, we have the University of Africa and three other universities in addition to so many secondary and primary schools in the state,” he said.
These projects he further explained, was Governor Dickson’s determination to leave a legacy in the state before he leaves office in 2020.
On workers welfare, the SSG disclosed that the Bayelsa State Government was not owing and civil servants in the state.
The state government, he pointed out, had paid the arears of the backlog of salaries owed the civil servants in 2016, when the economic downturn impacted negatively on the state government and the nation in general.
“We have paid all backlog of salaries owed our workers and we are about to recruit over 1000 workers into the Bayelsa State Civil Service.
“We will, however, clear the Civil Services of ghost workers, pay roll fraudsters, and people who were retired but have refused to go as well as the people in the system with fake certificates, hence the bad name calling and propaganda”, he said.
According to him, these people must go as to make way for the now people, no matter the intimidation or protests.