Former Osun State Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Engr. Oluremi Omowaiye, has criticized the ongoing Ede Airport project initiated by Governor Ademola Adeleke's administration, describing it as unnecessary and questioning both its execution and procurement process.
In a detailed statement released from Ilesa, Omowaiye defended the long-standing MKO Abiola International Airport project in Ido-Osun, tracing its history to the colonial era when the first airstrip in British West Africa was established in the town in 1936.
According to him, Ido-Osun was strategically selected by the British colonial administration following extensive geographical and aviation surveys which identified the area as possessing favourable terrain and weather conditions suitable for aviation operations.
He explained that the administration of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola initiated plans to transform the historic airstrip into a modern airport, while former Governor Rauf Aregbesola later commenced substantial work on the project, including runway expansion and infrastructure development.
Omowaiye noted that the original runway design was upgraded from about three kilometres to 3.5 kilometres to accommodate larger aircraft and international operations. He added that significant earthworks and perimeter fencing were completed before the project stalled due to funding challenges.
He further disclosed that during the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, efforts were made to revive the airport project through collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Air Force.
According to him, aviation experts reviewed the project and recommended modifications to certain facilities, including the control tower and fire station. He stated that financial constraints, however, slowed further progress despite attempts to secure federal intervention.
The former commissioner also recalled that the Nigerian Air Force had shown interest in developing an Aviation City around the airport corridor, leading to the relocation of the Air Force Research and Development Institute (AFRDI) from Kaduna to Osun State.
He claimed that the proposed Aviation City was designed to accommodate both civil and military aviation operations, alongside research and development activities in robotics, artificial intelligence, and unmanned aerial vehicle technology.
Omowaiye alleged that the project was abandoned after Governor Ademola Adeleke assumed office in November 2022 and subsequently initiated plans for a new airport in Ede.
He questioned the rationale behind constructing another airport in the state when the Ido-Osun project had already reached an advanced stage.
The former commissioner also raised concerns over the award of the Ede International Airport contract, alleging that the project, valued at approximately N99.5 billion, was awarded to a company whose primary business focus is interior and exterior decoration services.
According to him, details of the procurement process are available on the Osun State e-procurement portal.
He further alleged that the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development had earlier declined approval for Ede as a location for an international airport, but claimed the state government proceeded with the project regardless.
Omowaiye also questioned the proposed 5.6-kilometre runway for the Ede Airport project, arguing that it exceeds the runway lengths of many established airports in Nigeria and Africa.
He cited examples including the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport in Ogun State, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, and Upington Airport in South Africa, maintaining that the proposed Ede runway length raises questions about the project's necessity and cost implications.
The former commissioner called on the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, as well as anti-corruption agencies, to scrutinize the project and ensure accountability in the use of public funds.
As of the time of filing this report, the Osun State Government had not issued an official response to the allegationsbraised by the former commissioner.
FULL TEXT OF ENGR. REMI OMOWAIYE'S PRESS RELEASE BELOW:
MATTERS ARISING: IDO-OSUN AIRPORT AND SCANDALOUS EDE AIRPORT AWARDED TO INTERIOR DECORATION FIRM
There seems to be a lot of back and forth on the proposed MKO International Aiport Ido-Osun and the proposed Ede International Airport that I termed a "needless airport." It is important I set the record straight and clear a lot of gray areas on these two projects.
The first airstrip in British West Africa was built in Ido-Osun in 1936, after a large expanse of land was acquired in Ido-Osun in 1933 by the then Governor-General of Nigeria, Governor-General Bernard Bourdillon. No doubt, the first aircraft landed in Nigeria in Kano in 1925, but on a yellow sand—not a constructed aviation facility.
It is, however, sad to note that three other major pilot airstrips that the British Royal Air Force of the colonial administration built—Kano, Maiduguri, and Lagos—have all grown to become international airports. Ido-Osun was not picked based on impulse by the British to airlift military contingents under the West African Frontier who joined the British Army. Instead, a thorough geo survey was carried out by the British, and it discovered that Ido-Osun has the highest flat-top plateau in the then British West Africa, and a favourable aviation climatic weather.
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as the Governor of Osun, thought the aviation monument needed to be developed into a full-fledged airport. He acquired more land, liaised with the Ministry of Aviation, but could not do much until Rauf Aregbesola came with a vision to upgrade it to an international airport.
The initial colonial runway was not sufficient for a standard airport ; hence the Aregbesola’s administration completely realigned with an initial design of a 3-kilometer runway. Work commenced with all needed approval from the aviation regulatory agencies. Note, most airports runway in Nigeria, though largely for domestic purposes, are between 2.7 kilometers to 3.1 kilometers . In the course of building the runway, because of its proposed international airport status, the runway design was again redesigned to 3.5 kilometers. Designed to accommodate wide-body aircraft and medium-sized jets. The Aregbesola administration also fenced the entire airport corridor to prevent encroachment , this objective has been largely achieved. The airport development however got stuck after almost 2 kilometers of the runway to the earth work was achieved. Efforts by the Aregbesola administration to get a concessionaire to finish the project did not work
In 2019, I assumed duty as the Honourable Commissioner for Works and Transport under which purview the airport project was. The then Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, mandated us to revive the construction. In the process of reviewing the construction with some aviation experts, we noticed some flaws , majorly the fire station and the control tower design which we agreed in our correspondence with the Federal Ministry of Aviation to reposition. We agreed to all necessary corrections that the technical team from the Federal Ministry of Aviation raised. But again we got stuck with financial challenge . You will recollect that Business Day newspaper referred to Osun in 2019 as an insolvent state, which was using 92% of her revenue to pay debt. It was tough to survive. But at the end of the administration of Oyetola, a whopping N97 billion of Osun loan was repaid without him borrowing a kobo. However, continuing with the airport project with Osun funds was clearly not a priority when education, health, and road infrastructure were in dire need of Government’s attention.
Governor Oyetola courted Federal Government support for the airport project,he visited the then President, Muhammadu Buhari and the then Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, on the need for them to help. Several efforts were made for appropriation for the project by the Senate Committee . The Federal Ministry of Aviation clearly agreed to support the development of the project. Infact a member of the House of Representatives representing Ede/Egbedore/Ejigbo, Honorable Bamidele Salam, on the floor of the House of Representatives in 2021, told the world that Ido-Osun Airport has surpassed a stage that any reasonable country would wish it buried , that about 2 kilometers of the runway had been completed to formative level, just awaiting paving.
I will quote Honorable Bamidele Salam, who is the current spokesperson of the Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation. He said, and I quote, "If nothing is done to revive the MKO Abiola Airport project, It will go down the drain after several billions of naira had been spent on it." I want to quote him again. He said, "If nothing is done to revive the MKO Airport project in Ido-Osun, several billions of naira already spent on the project will go down the drain." We agreed with him and made more efforts to ensure that the project was revived.
Governor Oyetola approached the Nigerian Air Force under the leadership of AVM Amao, they agreed to look at our proposal, looked at the viability of the airport project .The Air Force, after a lot of technical analysis, agreed that the Ido Osun airport was suitable for their proposed Aviation City because of its historical and technical potentiality . A positioning structural height restriction survey around the airport corridor was also carried out. it came out well except for an overhead water within the Adeleke Secondary school compound that needed to be relocated
Under the joint agreement , the aviation city was to provide civil and military air flight operations as well as other artillery aviation services . And in furtherance to the Osun State Government agreement with the Nigerian Air Force for seamless implementation of the partnership , the Nigerian Air Force Research and Development Institute (AFRDI) was immediately relocated from Kaduna to Osun to leverage on the Osogbo's machine tools industry and Ido Osun Airport corridor , the institute is a key hub for military innovation, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) production. And under six months, the administrative office for Nigerian Air Force Research and Development Institute (AFRDI) was built in Ido Osun . The Osun State Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Air Force technical team jointly redesigned what was meant to be the first Nigerian Aviation City. The land of over 300 hectares land was grossly sufficient, a helipad was immediately constructed in 2021 by the Nigerian Air Force in Ido Osun to ease the movement of equipment and materials needed for the development of the Aviation City. The constructed helipad was the first in Osun anyway. It was going to be a dream come true for the people of Ido-Osun and Osun. Unfortunately , Adegboyega Oyetola lost his re-election bid. He left office in November 2022. Yet, the Air Force was poised to bring the project to reality. But Governor Ademola Adeleke, on assuming office, woke up one day and, for drive of nepotism, decided to abandon the MKO International Ido Osun project and started a new one in his hometown Ede, a great city where several schools are begging for renovation, the State Hospital begging for attention, and a city that needs a huge industrialization for economic growth .But , what mattered most to Mr Governor was to award the Ede International Airport for a whopping sum of N99.5 billion to an interior designer SHOWIE-TEE GLOBAL SERVICES LTD(RC-1865472 ). Evidence of the procurement process of the awarded Ede International airport can be gotten from the Osun State e-Procurement portal https://egp.osunstate.gov.ng/publication.php . Awarding an International airport project to a company registered Primarily for Interior/Exterior Decoration Services, whose core competence is interior decoration and furniture, a firm with no known history of aviation construction and engineering projects is SCANDALOUS !!!
Despite the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development rejecting Ede as an approved location for an international airport in letter Ref. No. 5.12/19/1/Vol.VI/188,the Ademola Adeleke-led administration turned a deaf ears to the Aviation ministry directive, they continued with the Ede Airport project execution .
Governor Adeleke who is also the current Osun Commissioner for Works through his so called Airport technical committee insist on abandoning the MKO International Airport Ido-Osun on the claim of encroachment , and that the available runway of 3.5 kilometers was not sufficient and unsuitable for a full-fledged airport . So, for the Ede International airport, they proposed a 5.6 kilometer runway. The newly constructed Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport in Ogun State features the longest runway in Nigeria. Measuring 4 kilometers in total length (a 3.4 km paved runway with an additional 600 m safety zone) , the Abuja's Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway is 3.6 kilometers long while the longest airport runway in Africa located at Upington Airport in South Africa, features a massive runway of 4.9 kilometers , Governor Adeleke want to build 5.6 kilometer runway for the Ede International Airport to perhaps beat the records of the longest runway in AFRICA abi ? a Big Scam !
Ekiti, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo all the five neighbouring states around us have airports that are not even viable for international flights. What is the GDP of Osun that N100 billion will be invested in another airport?
Unfortunately, Honourable Bamidele Salam seem to have lost his voice on the Ede Airport shenanigans . All hands must be on deck to ensure Governor Adeleke does not get re-election for all these impunities to stop. We call on the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and all anti-graft agencies to block this corruption conduit pipe of Osun State Government .
Engr Oluremi Omowaiye , Osun Former Commissioner for Works and Transportation wrote from Ilesa , Osun State
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment