The Senator representing Taraba South Senatorial District, David Jimkuta, has said 19 senators were denied landing permits at Kashimbilla Airport in Taraba State.

Jimkuta made this known during his Senatorial Empowerment Programme in Wukari, where he distributed various items to his constituents on Tuesday.

He explained that the lawmakers were part of a Senate delegation selected to accompany him to the programme.

According to him, all flight arrangements were completed, only to receive information that the airport had been temporarily shut down.

The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory Area Councils, expressed disappointment that the lawmakers could not attend the event, which would have helped them assess the needs of the people and offer the necessary support.

Jimkuta urged the beneficiaries not to sell the items they received but to use them to improve their lives.

He also promised to provide logistics to security agencies to boost safety in the district.

The Chairman of the occasion, Chief David Kente, commended Jimkuta for the empowerment initiative, describing it as ?unprecedented in the history of the district.?

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that items distributed include cars, motorcycles, tricycles, sewing machines, deep freezers, and vulcanizing machines, among others. (NAN)