Bamidele, 17 Other Senators Stopped From Landing At Taraba Airport — Jimkuta

The Senator representing Taraba South in the National Assembly, David Jimkuta, has lamented that the aircraft conveying 18 Senators, including Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who were billed to grace the unveiling of his empowerment programme in his senatorial district in Taraba State, was denied landing at Kashimbila Airport by the State’s authorities.

Jimkuta said the aim of denying his colleagues landing at the airport was targeted at frustrating his multi-billion Naira empowerment programme initiated to empower his constituents within his almost two years as a Senator representing the people of Taraba South at the National Assembly.

The lawmaker disclosed this in Wukari while distributing the empowerment kits to the people of Wukari, Takum, Donga, Ibbi and Ussa local government areas of Southern senatorial zone.

He said the 18 Senators were invited to Taraba State not just to grace the empowerment programme but also to get first-hand information on some of his (Jimkuta) proposed legislations at the National Assembly.

“We demanded clearance for landing permit at Kashimbila Airport for 18 Senators including majority leader of the Senate, we were told the Tower is bad and I should give them N30 million, which I did. They came out with another problem that the airport is no more functional and it can only commence operations in the next two weeks.

“We have been frustrated not to distribute these items in the name of politics. Commencing this empowerment programme to distribute the items to you has not been easy, there has been obstacles here and there, but by the grace of God, today many people will go home smiling,” Jimkuta said.

“The coming of the Senators in the state would have avail them the opportunity to see some of the Bills I have proposed and are pending at the National Assembly such as Federal University Wukari and the Wukari-Jalingo-Numan Road and the Ibbi Bridge. It is a calculated attempt to disrupt our progress,” he added.

The items distributed to the constituents in Wukari included 70 units of different cars, 150 units of motorcycle, 70 units of Grinding Machines, Sewing Machine, Trycicle pick-ups, Deep Freezers, Industrial Machines, Car Wash machines, Vulcanising Machine and wheel chairs.