President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that the Tamale Airport was be used as a maintenance and servicing centre for aircraft across West Africa.
“We intend to make the Tamale Airport a regional aircraft maintenance facility so that aircraft will come from all over West Africa to do their maintenance and servicing here,” he explained.
The president, who was speaking at the ceremony to commission the first phase of upgrade at the Tamale Airport, said the airport would facilitate the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) project and bridge the gap between the north and the south.
The president added that the airport will have a cargo handling facility “so that fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other agricultural products can be exported directly from Tamale to Europe instead of being carted to Accra”.
He further announced that works on other airports including those located at Kumasi and Ho will commence soon.
The president was delighted as he witnessed the first international flight to take off from the Tamale Airport.
According to him, “I felt an inner glow observing the spectacle of the Boeing 747 taking off the just-completed runway.”
He encouraged the pilgrims to pray for the soul of ex-president John Evans Atta Mills whom he said fulfilled the promise in initiating the process for the conversion of the facility into an international airport.
On his part, National Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sherabutu expressed gratitude to John Dramani Mahama for making it possible for pilgrims to travel from Tamale in the to Medina in Saudi Arabia.
During the ceremony to see off the first batch of pilgrims on Friday August 19, the Islamic leader also advised Ghanaians to desist from any act that would destabilise the peace that the nation is currently enjoying before, during and after the December elections.
He charged all pilgrims to remember the nation and the president in prayer as they embark on the trip to the holy land.
“Pray for His Excellency, pray for Ghana and everyone. We have to look at the peace in Ghana and never do anything to destabilise the peace. This [direct flight from Tamale] is a historic event… For the first time the pilgrims from the three northern parts of Ghana are taking off from Tamale direct to the airport in Medina. All power belongs to Almighty Allah and if he gives part of it to somebody, you should respect that person and pray for that person. His Excellency John Mahama is a gift to us, May God take care of him and all of us,” he indicated through an interpreter.
The first batch of 500 Hajj pilgrims were airlifted in a historic Boeing 747 flight from the upgraded Tamale Airport to Saudi Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage.
Beginning today, a total of 1,500 prospective pilgrims from the three regions in the north will be airlifted from the Tamale Airport.
Only three flights have been scheduled for the Tamale pilot project. There will also be eight flights from the southern part of the country from the Kotoka International Airport for the remainder of the more than 5,000 pilgrims travelling to Mecca this year.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
