For the cursory observer, the event of Monday 7th December, 2015 at Jalingo airport may hold no serious significance. In fact, some may dismiss it as another jamboree organised to shore up the image of certain individuals. But for insiders and those keen on the progress of the relatively new state, that day marks a watershed in its history. It was the day the skies literally opened up to usher in a new day. And as the curtain was pulled to the side to herald the commencement of air travel to Jalingo from Abuja, not a few went into wild jubilation. Clearly, a new era of fresh experiences had debuted and the story of Taraba may have forever changed. There is probably not a single Taraba citizen who did not feel a sense of pride and fulfilment as the plane lifted off and landed on those new tarmacs. And with this, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku had actually fulfilled an old dream and prayer of past administrations. It was a day Rev. Jolly Nyame dreamt and envisioned when he muted the idea as governor. It was Governor Danbaba Suntai who, however, took matters to new heights, literally. However, the lot of actualising all these visions came to past under Darius. At this point, it has to be shown what exactly Governor Ishaku did. Right from his campaigns, DDI (Dickson Darius Ishaku) had revealed he would activate the comatose airport and that air travel would be central to his rescue mission. So on coming on board as governor, the former minister swung into action. He put finishing touches on the runways and met regulatory requirements by providing all basic equipment. Specifically, DDI’s exposure was responsible for his ability to use his personal contact with the airline to accept to take the business risk of flying the Jalingo route.
Now, it is not as if aeroplanes are strangers to the state. Even way back in the early days, planes have been arriving in Christian missions-made airports. And such tarmacs are scattered around the state. The famous airfields of Takum are well known. Even in Jalingo, there exist such facilities. They had served politicians, physicians and preachers in the past. Today, they are a distant reminder of how life used to be. Besides, the new airport has served many chartered planes in the past. What we now have is an airport hosting commercial flights take-off and landing that would compete favourably with other airports around the world.
The current resurgence in avionics could be said to date back to the Rev. Jolly Nyame administration when engineers and companies were engaged to fashion for the state a modern airport. In fact, the dream was a big one: the state was to run an airline called AIR Taraba. To this end, the Nyame regime embarked on massive aviation activities. Work began in earnest on the runway and all the infrastructure that would give the state a befitting airport. And in view of the airline business, aircraft were acquired. Yet, for whatever reasons, the Nyame government could not actualise the dream of a modern mega airport.
Enter the Suntai administration. Governor Suntai took matters to new levels by adding a new dimension to the development. He did not just only want an airport and airline company. He wanted to be a pilot himself. Enrolling in an aviation college, Suntai quickly learnt the art of flying. He was criticised for this. Many felt he ought to concentrate on running the state. But in an interview, Suntai told his critics that he was pursuing his first love. Suntai was a trained pharmacist but aviation has always been his main desire. While his critics busied heaping insults on Suntai, he went full blast and acquired more aircrafts. In time, he started flying, always adorned in his flight captain uniform.
But beyond loving the skies, Suntai also had a dream of opening up Taraba in a way that would change the face of the state. His philosophy was simply this: that Taraba state must be accessible to investors and tourists. The state, he often notes, is craggy and has a difficult terrain. Without air transport, he averred, certain places would stay concealed. And certain potentials in solid minerals, agriculture and tourism may never be tapped. Thus in various fora, Suntai would regale his audience with the possibilities inherent in an open sky. On his own flying, he said the experience had opened his eyes to see parts of the state many non-fliers have never seen. He once said, “i have seen things from the sky many people never saw. I can assure you that Taraba is more endowed than it is generally believed. I have seen from the air that Taraba is indeed nature’s gift to the nation.”
Indeed, no serious leadership in Taraba would ignore this. If the exploration of the state’s natural resources for revenue generation is important, then air travel is it! Take the Mambilla Plateau in Sarduana Local Government Area: This tourism site is arguably one of the finest on the continent. It is Nigeria’s highest altitude with a weather condition akin to that of Europe. Yet, its potential has not been fully tapped. Rather, the smaller Obudu, which is actually the tail end of this Mambilla summits, gets all the attention. Access has remained the main challenge. Of course, accommodation and other hospitality components are needed but access is prime. What Suntai then did was to embark on a very dramatic road resuscitation program which saw him flagging off work on an ancient road leading to the Mambilla heights. Today, the road is near completion.
Governor Darius, by opening up the skies, has finally driven a nail in the coffin of all that has held Taraba state back in the past. Now, investors and tourists can be in Jalingo in less than an hour and take the smooth road to the Mambilla. Tourists can now savour the sweetness that the state has to offer without worrying about distance.
Before now, many an Abuja or Lagos based business man had ruled out the very thought of journeying to Taraba. The easiest thing used to be to endure a flight to Yola and then undergo a tortuous road work to Jalingo. In the absence of that, the next best thing was a long and frustrating road trip via Makurdi or Jos, then to Gombe through hills and valleys. Many business men just wait for top government functionaries to come to Abuja before transacting business. The loss the state has suffered because of this is enormous.
But, all that is in the past now with flights (three times a week for now, daily later) life is expected not to be the same. Job creation is one of the key fallouts in this. Industrialisation is next. Of course, agriculture would also be enhanced as well as the solid mineral sector. Taraba State has finally joined the circle of states with air services, a fact which would enhance commercial activities. And, as it were, Taraba State has been engrafted into the modern world. For air travel is like an air borne phenomenon. It has the potential of connecting us with the rest of civilisation.
Darius has thus arrived in history as the father of modern civilisation as far as the transport business is concerned. Things, indeed, are no longer the same.
Bello, an Abuja based journalist, is a former commissioner of information, Taraba state
