Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State assured in Abuja on Saturday that the MKO Abiola Airport in Ido-Osun, would be completed speedily as all hurdles impeding its completion would soon be removed.
Adeleke gave the assurance when he visited the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
“I’m concerned about the state of our infrastructure in Osun. Osun remains the only state in the Southwest without an airport.
“Osun has a lot of potential, but we are restricted because of lack of infrastructure, particularly an airport.
“We would try our best to resolve all impediments and remove all roadblocks to ensure the completion of the project.
“The potential of the airport are enormous. As an administration, we would look into it and collaborate with the Federal Government on the completion of the project,’’ he told the minister.
In his remarks, the minister gave an historical background of the airport, stating that he was committed to ensuring that the Osun government succeeded in its completion.
“The Airport in Ido-Osun is a very historic one; in fact, it is the most suitable flat plateau in the whole of West Africa for the siting of an aircraft maintenance hangar.
“As a former governor of Osun and currently a minister, be assured of Federal Government’s cooperation and support for the completion of the aircraft maintenance hangar and cargo airport in Osun.
“In fact, it should now be a thing of bragging for Osun to urgently complete the airport as it remains the only state in Southwest Nigeria without an airport,’’ Aregbesola noted.
He added that there was a Federal Government approval for some funds to be disbursed towards the completion of the airport.
The minister promised that he would explore his remaining days as minister to pursue the release of the funds.
“I will use my remaining 42 working days as minister to pursue the disbursement of the approved funds so that the airport can be completed in the shortest possible time,’’ Aregbesola said.
