Claims by the Osun State Government on the relocation of the MKO Abiola Airport, Ido-Osun to Governor Ademola Adeleke’s hometown, Ede, is untrue and structured to justify the government’s nepotism on the matter.
Ido Osun Descendants Union, umbrella body of indigenes of Ido-Osun in Egbedore local government of Osun State in a statement made available to Osun Defender on Thursday held that the Adeleke Secondary School should be relocated to give way for the airport.
The statement jointly signed by Elder Timothy Adeleye, Ido-Osun Descendant Union President, Com. Akano Kamarudeen Opeyemi – Ido-Osun Youth Secretary and Hon. Abiodun Awolola – Publicity Chairman decried the reasons given by the state government for the relocation, calling on the Federal Government to wade in.
It also accused the Adeleke adminsitration of nepotism, prioritisation of private interests and absence of morality over the issue, urging it to reverse its decision on the relocation of the airport.
The statement reads in part, “The public statements by the Deputy Governor and the technical report confirm that the real motive behind these claims is to justify the relocation of the airport to Ede. This is a clear act of nepotism that prioritizes private interests over the collective good of Osun State. Rather than relocating the airport, the government should address the encroachment issue and prioritize the completion of the project for the benefit of future generations.
“According to the the Technical team, they have spent approximately 36 million naira for the design and wind analysis, this is not withstanding how much compensation is expected to be paid on the proposed Ede site with a acclaimed 1922.111 Hectares of land occupants. What else could be a definition of wasteful spending if not this?
“If houses and businesses are being destroyed in different part of the state by successive administration and even the present government in power to pave way for road reconstruction and expansions, the moral thing to do by the Adeleke Family is to lead by example by allowing their school to go since they are also encroaching on the airport land deliberately.
“They should relocate their school to somewhere else to allow the expansion of the runway. We are asking the government to explain to Osun state which of the Airport in Nigeria deos not house an Air Force Infrastructure.
“We, the entire people of Ido-Osun , call on the people of Osun State to unite in opposing this wasteful and unnecessary relocation of the Ido-Osun Airport. We urge the Federal Government to intervene, relocate the encroaching school, and ensure that this vital project serves the public interest,” Ido Osun community noted.
