- Safiu Kehinde
Angry residents of Ido-Osun town in Egbedore local government area of Osun state, sparked with rage and fury, took to the street on Tuesday to protest Ademola Adeleke’s Plan to relocate the ongoing M.K.O Abiola International Airport project from the town to Ede.
The protesters led by the Eesa of Ido-Osun, Chief Oyewale Basiru, and former Osun Assembly lawmaker, Abiodun Awolola, stormed the palace demanding if Adeleke is indeed Osun state governor or Ede, as contained in one of their placards.
“Is Adeleke governor of Ede or Osun State?”, “We say no to favouritism”, “Give us back our airport”, and “Relocating the airport to your hometown is nepotistic.” were amongst the arrays of inscriptions written on the placards displayed by the protesters.
Adeleke had caused stir followed an announcement by the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, outlining plans for the governor’s second anniversary.
As contained in the statement, the Secretary had disclosed the governor’s, along with the Ministers of Works and Aviation, David Umahi and Festus Keyamo, to lay the foundation for the new airport in his hometown, Ede.
This never went down well with the residents of Ido-Osun as they fumed in anger and dismay over the governor’s alleged plot to move the M.K.O Abiola airport from its historical site in the town to Ede.
According to a 2021 article by political journalist, Semiu Okanlawon, the plan to construct the airport at Ido-Osun dated back to 1936 during the Second World War.
The West African Frontiers Force had picked the location as the landing and take-off platform for the airlifting of its fighters, who fought along with the British Army from across West Africa.
The then Governor-General, Bernard Bourdillon, representing the British Empire, had paid £103 and three shillings to the then Baale of Ido Osun and 15 farmers who sought compensation for destruction of their crops for him to justifiably purchase and occupy the land as its new rightful owner.
Bourdillon’s sole purpose of purchasing the land was build on it an airstrip.
Despite the end of the world war and eventual independence of Nigeria years later, the land still remained committed to the initial purpose.
Former Osun state governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, would step up to bring the Bourdillon’s dream to reality as he commenced plan to build a modern airport on the same land before the end of his tenure in 2010.
However, no meaningful work started until October 2012 under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola.
According to reports, the contract was first awarded to Aeronautics Engineering at the cost of N4.5 billion in October 2012.
It would later be reviewed to N11 billion to accommodate more features.
Of this amount, the state government noted that it had spent N3.6 billion. Thereafter, the project got abandoned mid-way, prompting the need for a re-award.
In October 2017, the state government revived its intention to continue the project but having entered a huge financial constraint, the Aregbesola administration opted for concession.
Till the end of his tenure, the airport project barely materialized as desired. Aregbesola handed over to Gboyega Oyetola.
On the 10th of December 2020, Oyetola met with the then Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to seek support of the Ministry for the completion of the airport.
Rather than seeing progress, Oyetola’s administration incurred debt on the project as the contractor handling the construction of the project, JM & AS Limited, wrote to the state government in December 2022, demanding immediate payment of N570.2m debt expended on the project or be ready for court action.
Oyetola left the fate of the airport hanging in the balance as he handed it over to the Nigerian Air Force before his short-lived tenure paved way for Ademola Adeleke who had in November 2022 emerged winner of the Osun governorship election.
M.K.O Abiola International Airport has again continued it rollercoaster ride with the latest development of alleged plan to relocate it to Ede.
It largely remain unknown if the new uprising will birth any redemption of the age-long project.