BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has reiterated his resolve to complete the Osun Airport as a way of fast tracking the economic development of the state.
A statement signed by Olawale Rasheed,
Spokesperson to the state governor, on Wednesday noted that Adeleke made this known at the inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the revival of the airport project headed by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Bashiru Salami.
The statement quoted the governor as saying, “The project as we all know has been overshadowed by a lot of controversy. I am determined to solve the riddle and give Osun a befitting airport. It is regrettable that of all the South West States, only Osun has no airport. If we are to jumpstart our economy, we need to address the issue of connectivity. Osun as a solid mineral state with two free trade zones and multiple tertiary institutions deserves a flight link.
“My team postulated and rightly so that having an airport will accelerate the economic revival of Osun State. I however seek an in depth technical plan to study the entire project, develop and ensure the implementation and actualisation of the plan.
“I assemble this inter-ministerial committee members to cover all requisite areas. You are to review the past, design for the present and implement for the future. You have the mandate of the Osun state government to invite all relevant stakeholders for submissions. Your mandate is not only to identify the problem areas; you are to proffer actionable solutions.
“I also use this opportunity to call on partners and others involved in this project to cooperate with this standing committee. Our administration has the political will to push through this project. I need committee members to be innovative and come up with ideas for a sustainable multiple purpose airport”, the Governor reiterated.
Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Salami assured the governor of the preparedness of the members to work diligently for the realization of the assignment.
“We know how important this project is to the state. We assure Mr Governor that we will set to work immediately as directed,” he said.
Recall that after the airport project initiated by the former administration of Rauf Aregbesola failed, former governor Gboyega Oyetola in July, 2022, handed over the runway and airport corridor for the commencement of the construction of Africa’s first and largest aviation city in Ido-Osun, Egbedore Local Council of the state.
The initiative, according to the then government, was a testament to its untiring efforts to keep the dream of having an airport in Osun State alive and part of the administration’s relentless efforts to rekindle the collective hope of the citizens and stimulate the state’s economy.
Oyetola had said the government had partnered with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to build the aviation city, which would provide civil and military air flight operations in the state.
Oyetola, while handing over the official documents of the runway and airport corridor to the former Chief of Air Staff, said his administration had taken the bull by the horns to ensure that the state keeps the dream of having an airport in Osun alive.
He said that the handover ceremony signalled the beginning of another mutually-beneficial relationship with the NAF to speed up the construction and accelerate the completion of the airport.
The then Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Oladayo Amoo, represented by the Principal Director, Air Force Research and Development Centre, Air Vice Marshall M. O. Onilede, led the NAF delegation to Osun State and said the project would include an aircraft manufacturing plant, a maintenance repair organisation and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle production centre, among others.
After about fourteen months after the handover, nothing has been heard over the airport project.
