Why We Stop Pantami’s branded Water at Gombe Airport
By Auwal Abdullahi
The management of Gombe International Airport has defended its decision to stop the distribution of bottled water bearing the image of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, to returning Hajj pilgrims, insisting that the action was in line with airport regulations prohibiting political activities within the facility.
The Sole Administrator of the airport, Engr Sulaiman Musa, disclosed this in an interview with Jewel Post while reacting to reports surrounding the halted distribution on Saturday.
According to him, the airport is a public facility that must remain neutral and free from partisan political activities.
“The airport is a public facility that should not be used for political campaigns or agendas. We don’t allow political activities at the airport,” he said.
Engr. Musa explained that the bottled water being distributed to pilgrims carried the image of a politician and a political party, a development he said raised concerns among airport authorities.
He further stated that the distribution conducted during the arrival of the first batch of pilgrims on Friday created an atmosphere that resembled a political gathering, prompting management to intervene before the arrival of the second and final batch on Saturday.
“The water was bearing the picture of a politician and political party. During the first distribution, the scene was turned into a political gathering and we don’t allow that here,” he added.
The decision followed reports that airport officials prevented the distribution of the bottled water to the second batch of returning pilgrims after a similar exercise had been successfully carried out a day earlier.
Despite the restriction at the airport, the donated water was later taken to the Gombe Hajj Camp, where it was distributed to returning pilgrims as well as relatives and friends who gathered to welcome them home.
The incident has generated public discussion, with differing views emerging over whether the gesture should be regarded as humanitarian support for pilgrims or a political activity within a public facility.
As of the time of filing this report, representatives of Professor Pantami had not publicly responded to the airport management’s explanation.
