JUST IN:Soldiers Bar Governor Nyako from Using Yola Airport

By Garba Mohammad
Soldiers on Wednesday barred Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state from using the Yola International Airport.The governor planned to embark on a trip to Abuja Wednesday morning where he was expected to attend a meeting initiated by former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.
A source at the airport revealed that the airport was shut against all commercial and private planes based on orders from authorities in Abuja.
He said Air Force personnel thronged the airport early morning and chased staff at the control tower. They also put the entrance to the airport terminal under lock.
A security detail of the governor told reporters that when their contingent arrived the airport to make the necessary arrangements for the governor’s departure to Abuja, they were told that the Governor will not be allowed to use the facility.
But the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the governor, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh said the closure was a deliberate attempt to prevent Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State from meeting United Nations Ambassador Gordon Brown who was in the country to kick start the Save the Schools Initiative, Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor Mallam Ahmad Sajoh has revealed.
He said the Former Prime Minister was in the country to kick start the Save the Schools Initiative ,an intervention fund to revive schools and education in the three north eastern states slammed with Emergency Rule but Governor Nyako was not invited during the stakeholders meeting which was supervised by the presidency despite the fact that the Governors of Yobe and Borno states were all invited .
Sajoh added that the Minister of Finance had earlier announced that a technical session will be held between the stakeholders including Brown by 9:00 am Wednesday and Nyako ,and invitation was even extended to Nyako but in order to prevent him from making the trip, the Yola International airport was deliberately sealed.
“Following the closure of the airport, the governor had to go through Gombe state to catch a flight before he reached Abuja and fortunately he was able to make it,” Sajoh said.
Sajoh added that the era in which public utilities are completely shut to get at some individuals will only spell doom for the country saying the Federal Government was wrong to punish law abiding citizens because it wants to get at governor Nyako.
“It is sad that just because some people wants to prevent Governor Nyako from using the airport, it has to be shut down for many hours which affects many people of the state,” Sajoh added.
He said the reason advanced by the Airport authorities to the effect that the airport was shut for military operations does not hold water as the airport was later reopened after the governor has left for Gombe.