Osun community protests relocation of airport to gov’s hometown in Ede

The Ido-Osun community in Osun State has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the State Government’s decision to relocate the ongoing M.K.O Abiola Airport in the community to Ede, Governor Ademola Adeleke’s hometown.

The community, who protested at the Oludo’s palace in Ido-Osun on Tuesday viewed the decision as a clear case of nepotism and favoritism, which contradicts the oath of democracy and oath office taken by Governor Adeleke.

They appealed to President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the governor to reverse the decision, as it undermines the rights and interests of the people of Ido-Osun.

The protesters carried placards with several inscriptions: ‘Is Adeleke, Governor of Ede or Osun State?’, ‘We say no to favouritism’, ‘Give us back our airport’, ‘Relocating the Airport to your hometown is nepotistic’, ‘This is not what you promised us’ among others.

Abiodun Awolola, former lawmaker Osun Assembly, who spoke on behalf of the community berated the decision of Adeleke to relocate the ongoing airport project to which over N20 billion had been expended on it by the previous administration.

He said, “Removing the airport in the original location to Adeleke’s hometown will amount to nepotism and favouritism which oppose to the oath of democracy he took when he was sworn in as the governor.

“Adeleke made a promise to our late king to complete the project but the reverse is the case now. Unfortunately, Kolapo Alimi who served under the government of Rauf Aregbesola and now under Adeleke is the one stating reasons to relocate the airport despite knowing the level of work done and the billions of Naira that had been expended on it.

“The government decision is unacceptable and unjust, as it undermines the rights and interests of the people of Ido-Osun.”

He blamed the Adeleke family for the encroachment on the airport land, with the building of Adeleke University on parts of the land, the community.

Awolola also called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on governor against relocating the airport to his hometown and ordered his ministers not to grace any foundation laying of the new project in Ede.