We, the Ido-Osun community express our utmost dissatisfaction and disappointment with the Osun State Government’s decision to relocate the ongoing Ido-Osun Airport to Ede.
Removing the airport in the original location to Governor Ademola Adeleke’s hometown will amount to nepotism and favoritism which oppose to the oath of democracy he took when he was sworn in as the governor.
WHY IT IS ABSURD TO RELOCATE IDO-OSUN AIRPORT TO EDE
The project is World Meteorology Organisation (WMO) established airport with station number 215. All the WMO stations in Nigeria are tagged with station numbers. Nigeria is in Block number 65 in Africa so from the identification purpose, Ido Osun station is written as 65215.
Governor Ademola Adeleke made a promise to the late Alayemore to complete the project but reverse is now the case when Hon. Kolapo Alimi who served under the government of Rauf Aregbesola and Knew the level of work done and billion of Naira that had been expended on it to make sure the Airport come to use. It is unfortunate that Alimi decided to go astray because of his new pay master and render the developmental driven brain of Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Governor Rauf Aregbesola and that of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola who brought in Airforce to develop the project useless.
Since the demise of our late King the Alayemore of Ido-Osun Kingdom Oba Dr. Aderemi Adedapo of blessed memory, the Ede community using the instrument of Government have done everything to incite violence and communal crisis which we have been able to maturely avoided not for the fears but for the fact that as Peace loving and exposed people who would not let Ido-Osun be turned into another Ilobu, Ifon or Ikirun, Igbajo or Iree to mention but a few of the towns where instruments of government have been used to ignite unnecessary unrest since the inception of the government of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
OUR GRIVIANCES
1. They started by Renaming the 1932 WMO established Airport from M.K.O Abiola international airport Ido-Osun to Isiaka Adeleke International Airport Ido-Osun Ede North/Egbedore. This raised alot of confusion in the Town but we absorbed the grief and let it slide after our press statement which they denied.
2. In less than two months after the demise of our king the Alayemore of Ido-Osun Kingdom, they hurriedly install a Baalè on a part of our town in Halleluyah area of Ido-Osun. This was firmly resisted but we ensured it never snowball into any violence or crisis.
3. Using guns to chase farmers at Aga Phase 2 farmland around the Airport out of their land and forcefully entering the land and started selling some portions to individuals in the name of Ede people and Ede Governor, a matter that was reported to the police and to avoid communal crises we have manage this evil events intellectually.
Every Annexation of Ido-Osun agenda have been resisted and this attempt to relocate Ido-Osun Airport to Ede will not also be different. We will resist this evil and insensitive agenda with all God has helped us with. The people advising this government to monopolize osun state to run as Ede state should be ashamed of themselves.
Setting the record straight, Ido-Osun Airport have been in existence since 1936 before it was abandoned and then successive governments from President Obasanjo, Governor Akande, Oyinlola, Aregbesola and Oyetola have all at their time made a very effective commitment in ensuring the Airport come to live.
Over N5billion have been expended on the Ido Osun Airport by the past governments, abandoning it to start fresh project in the governor’s hometown, Ede will only paint the current government as nepotistic government and amount to waste of resources because the governor will have to deep hands into the coffers of the state for the fresh project.
The Airport which houses Nigerian Airforce Research and Development Center and the Aviation City that is designed to serve both civil, Military and Cargo aviation needs as well as AI drones manufacturing hub would have made drastic progress under governor Adeleke rather than bury the age long historic Airport to start a new one in his Home town Ede. Governor Adeleke should be reminded that he is Osun state governor and not Ede Governor and people like Hon. Teslim Igbalaye the SSG and Kolapo Alimi who should know better and advice the government appropriately should be ashamed of themselves for this wasteful spending of Osun state tax payers money and revenue. How can a person in Hon. Kolapo Alimi’s status tell Osun people that an Airport that has the longest flat plain and runway in Nigeria is containing some Holes is the reason a reasonable government will relocate an over 90 years old Airport to a fresh location in Governor Ademola Adeleke’s home town, Ede. The Ido-Osun Airport remains a World Meteorological organisation and Federal government property and it will be counter productive for any reasonable government to establish another state Airport at Ede which is less than 10 minutes drive to the existing Airport in Ido-Osun.
The government decision is unacceptable and unjust, as it undermines the rights and interests of the people of Ido-Osun, who have been eagerly anticipating the airport’s construction in our community.
OUR DEMANDS
1. We demand that President Bola Tinubu should prevail on Governor Adeleke because the federal allocation he is giving to state is meant for all the communities not to serve only the hometown of the governor.
2. We urge the Ministers of Tinubu, both Works and Aviation; David Umahi and Festus Keyamo to shun the foundation laying of new airport in Ede because it will amount to giving nod to nepotism of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
3. President Tinubu should stop his minister from attending any foundation else it will amount to the fact that presidency was part of the authorization to relocate the airport.
4. We urge the Osun State Government to reconsider this decision and maintain the original plan and complete the airport in Ido-Osun considering the over N5billion that had been spent on the project by past administration. Relocating the airport to Ede would not only be a betrayal of the trust and a clear case of marginalization of the community.
5. We demand that the government prioritizes the welfare and development of all communities in Osun State, without bias or favoritism. The Ido-Osun Youth Forum will continue to advocate for the rights and interests of our people and will not hesitate to take further action if this decision is not reversed.
We urge the president to look into the matter because this can degenerate into communal clash considering the previous action of Ede town against Ido-Osun.
Thanks
Chairman Ido-Osun Descendants Union,
Mr Timothy Adeleye
Eesa of Ido-Osun,
Chief Oyewale Basiru
Hon. Abiodun Awolola,
Chairman Publicity committee
