Amid threats to the continued tenure of Iliya Damagun as acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared 100 percent support for the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Damagun.
Makinde made this declaration at the groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan to international standard on Wednesday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Makinde called for a suspension of disputes regarding the leadership of the PDP in the interest of the party’s unity. He particularly urged all PDP members to rally around the party’s candidate in Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, whom he declared 100 percent support for.
He said: “Tongues have been wagging about my absence at the campaign grand finale. Let me declare that Seyi Makinde is 100 percent with our candidate in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo. If Edo people want to know the difference between delicious and nutritious, they should vote for Asue Ighodalo to get what is nutritious.
“And I am glad that our acting national chairman and members of his National Working Committee (NWC) are here. I read yesterday that there is another meeting in Bauchi by some NWC members. Let me say clearly, I have been discussing with my brother on our way here. We are 100 percent in support of the Iliya Damagun-led NWC. Whatever decision you take, we will support you in repositioning our party.
“Let me also say I don’t think this is the right time to have issues with ourselves. We have an important election on Saturday, so we should all rally around and deliver our candidate.”
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Regarding criticisms about whether the airport upgrade project should be a priority, Makinde said the decision was based on data and logic, which indicated that it would position Ibadan as a true regional business hub. He gave the Mr. Bimbo Adekanmbi-led committee on the airport upgrade a 12-month timeline to ensure the project’s completion. The first phase has been awarded to Craneburg Construction Limited at the cost of N41 billion.
The event also saw Makinde announce the suspension of the implementation of the Presumptive Tax bill recently passed by the State House of Assembly.
The Oyo Assembly had last week passed the bill, which provides for the imposition, administration, and collection of presumptive tax on individuals and entities whose income cannot be ascertained due to lack of financial records, those not covered under the Pay-As-You-Earn or direct assessment provisions of the revenue administration law of the state, or those whose financial records of business undertakings are not kept in a manner that enables proper assessment of income tax payable.
Though Makinde said he would sign the bill into law to expand the state’s internally generated revenue, he stated that its implementation would be postponed due to the current hardships faced by Nigerians.
Makinde said: “I can see the Speaker. You passed the Presumptive Tax bill; yes, it came from us because, to expand the economy, you need to generate money. I will sign it into law, but we will not implement it for now. We support anything that will leave money in the pockets of the people of Oyo State so they can spend it where it is needed. Those are the policies that we will promote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for passing the bill, but now is not the time for implementation. Now is the time to give real hope to our people and let them know that this hard time will pass.”
The ceremony was witnessed by Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, acting national chairman of the PDP Iliya Damagun, and other members of the NWC; members of the Ladoke Akintola family; Chief of Air Staff, represented by the Chief of Logistics of the Air Force, Babatunde Philips; governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State in the last election, Ladi Adebutu; chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Fatai Buhari; Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honorable Adebo Ogundoyin; traditional rulers; several political office holders; members of the airport upgrade committee; members of the Airport Community Development Association, among other personalities.
In his remarks, Governor Ademola Adeleke said Ibadan, as the political capital of the South West, was long overdue to host an international airport.
Speaking on behalf of the airport upgrade committee, Mr. Victor Ajiboye and Kabir Mohammed said the project will cover the extension of runway shoulders, improvement of the fire bay, construction of a new cargo terminal, fixing of the MRO hangar, airfield lighting, increase of the fuel storage capacity, construction of new parking lots, improvement of the airside, and a wider apron, among other enhancements.
Ultimately, they said the vision was to create a facility for international flights, one that would alleviate congestion at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, reduce travel time, and transform Ibadan into an economic hub in the South West.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the acting manager of Ibadan airport, Mr. Francis Balogun, stressed that with the project, Oyo State is on track to being connected to the global community by air.
