North Sumatera Governor (Gubsu) Tengku Erry Nuradi expects that Lasonde Airport located in Tanah Masa Island can be landed by ATR type aircraft, so it can attract more foreign tourists to visit.
Tanah Masa Island is one of the island of 101 islands in the cluster of Pulau Batu Pulau Nias Selatan District. “The tourism potential of this region is remarkable for foreign tourists, especially surfing enthusiasts and underwater tours,” he said.
The visit of Tengku Erry at that time was related to the roadshow of Ramadan Pemprovsu Safari Team to South Nias Regency, recently, after the previous day entourage of Ramadan Safari Team visited Gunungsitoli City.
Furthermore, Tengku Erry said Batu Island group is very rich in tourism potential, but unfortunately has not developed optimally, but has its own uniqueness.
Communities on Pulau Batu Island rely on boats for inter-village mobilization. Among the 101 islands, there is only one island that has a path, namely Tanah Masa Island. Itupun only runway (plane path) Lasonde Airport and a 500-meter road that connects the Airport with Tanah Masa Island Harbor.
Accompanied by Head of Adonditration of Lasondre Airport, Khairul, Tengku Erry also took the time to review a number of airport facilities, including a simple VIP room that only provides platform seats and not yet equipped with metal detector for passenger sterilization.
Runway Airport Lasonde itself is currently in the process of development. Runway which is only 1400 meters long, will be added to 1650 meters. Similarly, the runway width will be added.
Afterwards from Pulau Tanah Masa, the group of Ramadan Pemprovsu Safari Team continued their visit to Pulau Tello. The delegation arrived at Tello Island at around 13:45 via the sea route, greeted by the South Nias Regent, Hilarius Duha, and the Forkopimda of South Nias Regency.
Gubsu and Mrs. Evi Diana Erry were dressed in Nias clothing and were blessed by local adat leaders.
The rest of the group was paraded by foot from the Port of Tello entrance, accompanied by War Dance (Nias custom) and Wave Dance (indigenous Nias coast), and watched by hundreds of Tello Island residents and surrounding islands.
After walking 500 meters from the harbor, the group then greeted dozens of motorized rickshaw pullers, around to the inn to rest for a while waiting for the afternoon.
In the afternoon, the Gubsu entourage went to Masjid Al-Ikhsan to break the fast together with the ranks of South Nias Regency Government.
On that occasion, Gubsu handed over Rp200 thousand each to orphans and duafa people, Rp 300 thousand for each religious scholar and teacher, and mosque building support for Al-Ikhsan Mosque Masjid of Rp15 million, and package dates.
South Nias Regent, Hilarius Duha, in his speech said Tello Island was last visited by Gubsu about 12 years ago, and the current Gubsu is the late Tengku Rizal Nurdin.
“We are very impressed, because the Governor of Tengku Erry Nuradi wants to stay in touch with the people of Tello Island so Mr. Erry became the second Governor of North Sumatra who ever set foot to Batu and Pulau Tello sub-districts after the late Mr. Rizal Nurdin 12 years ago, “said Hilarius.
Hilarius hopes, Pemprovsu can give serious attention in the development of some areas in Nisel Regency, to encourage the distribution of development in North Sumatra. “We will certainly align the development program at the provincial level with South Nias Regency to be more synergistic,” he said.
For your information, Tello Island is one of the islands of Batu cluster of 101 islands. To arrive at Tello Island, the Safari Ramadan Pemprovsu team departed from Binaka Airport Gunungsitoli using Cassa aircraft belonging to North Sumatra Police Station to Lasondre Airport in Tanah Masa Island, then followed by a boat to Tello Island.
The entourage of Ramadan Pemprovsu Safari Team, among others Mrs. Hj Evi Diana Erry, North Sumatra Police Chief of Police Adi Prawoto Brigadier and lady, and a number of SKPD in the ranks of Pemprovsu. (lase)