The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, on Friday, inaugurated a 1.3-million-cubic meters water plant at Tactical Air Command (TAC) Headquarters, Makurdi. Abubakar says the plant has two million cubic meters storage capacity and will effectively serve the base.

He added that the purpose of the water plant was to ensure maximum comfort for personnel of Nigeria Air Force (NAF) and their families residing at NAF base.

He said that the desire of NAF was to produce professional Air Force that would not only fly aircraft, protect lives and property but that their needs be attended to as well.

Abubakar noted that “water is a major problem here, from a capacity of 150 litres, we are now providing over a million cubic meters and from a storage facility that is also about 450 litres, we are now providing over 2 million litres.

“This, I believe will go a long way in making our personnel comfortable.

“These are the people who fight day and night to make sure that Nigeria is secure, so whatever it is that we need to do to make sure that their families and other members residing in the barracks are in good shape, we will do.

“These are all aimed at ensuring that as you are getting the aircraft flying, repairing the aircraft, training the pilot, the needs of the human being is also attended to.”

The Officer Commanding, TAC Headquarters, Makurdi, AVM Isaka Amao, said the Makurdi base was one of the oldest in the service and due to age, its infrastructure had deteriorated.

Amao also disclosed that the population of the base, which currently stood at 3,800, had overwhelmed existing infrastructures, hence the need for the new plant.

He added that “as we all know, NAF Base Makurdi is one of the oldest in the service. Understandably therefore, there was gradual deterioration of facilities and infrastructure due to old age.

“Currently, the Makurdi Base hosts about 3,800 persons. This has exerted a lot of pressure on existing amenities like water, electricity and accommodation.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief of Air Staff also inaugurated battery bay that will cater for both alkaline and acid batteries for aircraft, vehicles and associated Aerospace Ground Equipment.