Osun Govt gives reason for relocating Ido-Osun airport project to Ede

Hours after the youth of Ido-Osun community protest against the relocation of airport from their town, the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Kola Adewusi, has shed more light on the state government’s decision to relocate the airport project from its proposed location in Ido-Osun to Ede.

While speaking on the matter, Adewusi who provided this insight during a live radio current affairs program in Osogbo on Wednesday, said the proposed land allotted for the project was not enough for an international airport of that magnitude.

OsunReporters News earlier reported that residents of Ido-Osun on Tuesday protested the relocation of the airport project from their community.

However, Adewusi also said if the state government were to proceed with the project in Ido-Osun, it would cost a lot of money to compensate the members of the community who would be affected.

In his words; “In this generation, we should not look at issues with sentiments. The Airforce base is there and will still be in use, but it will not suit the present situation of establishing an airport. There is a need to factor that into the whole issue. Failure to do that is what is affecting Nigeria today.”

_______“I am sorry, but if our past leaders had thought outside the box, maybe they would have made provisions for the challenges confronting us today. We should be able to have foresight. If we continue with the project in Ido-Osun and, in the near future, there is a need for an international airport and the facilities there will not be able to accommodate flight traffic, what do we do?”

__________He also revealed that investigations dismissed the claim that a ditch was situated in the allotted land and that the land could not contain the stretch of the runway.

“There is a need to project into the future. From the information available to me, there is a ditch that will cost a lot of money if the project should continue there. The distance of the runway, which is 3.5km, cannot be obtained from the existing location, so they have to look for enough land.”

_____“It is not because of any reason whatsoever. Are Ido-Osun people not part of Osun State? We don’t have any problem with anybody there. Their late king was a friend of the government. There is no need to attach sentiment to it.”

“If critics of the airport relocation can get enough land in Osogbo, why not? Many people don’t know the governor. He doesn’t attach sentiment to anything.”

____Adewusi also said that if the state government were to proceed with the project in Ido-Osun, it would cost a lot of money to compensate the members of the community who would be affected.

He said, “In this generation, we should not look at issues with sentiments. The Airforce base is there and will still be in use, but it will not suit the present situation of establishing an airport. There is a need to factor that into the whole issue. Failure to do that is what is affecting Nigeria today.”

______“I am sorry, but if our past leaders had thought outside the box, maybe they would have made provisions for the challenges confronting us today. We should be able to have foresight. If we continue with the project in Ido-Osun and, in the near future, there is a need for an international airport and the facilities there will not be able to accommodate flight traffic, what do we do?”

He also revealed that investigations dismissed the claim that a ditch was situated in the allotted land and that the land could not contain the stretch of the runway.

“There is a need to project into the future. From the information available to me, there is a ditch that will cost a lot of money if the project should continue there. The distance of the runway, which is 3.5km, cannot be obtained from the existing location, so they have to look for enough land.”

“It is not because of any reason whatsoever. Are Ido-Osun people not part of Osun State? We don’t have any problem with anybody there. Their late king was a friend of the government. There is no need to attach sentiment to it.”

_____“If critics of the airport relocation can get enough land in Osogbo, why not? Many people don’t know the governor. He doesn’t attach sentiment to anything.”