Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has said that his administration discontinued the MKO Abiola International Airport in Ido-Osun and relocated it to his hometown because the old site was unsuitable for a full-fledged airport.

Justifying Adeleke?s government?s decision to move the airport to the Akoda area of Ede, a member of the Osun Airport Technical Committee, Lai Oriowo, while addressing journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday, disclosed that the Ido-Osun site is not spacious enough to accommodate the airport government envisions.

The controversial airport has reportedly gulped N20 billion since it was initiated by the government of Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Oriowo mentioned that several past administrations took one step or the other on the airport project, adding that the last government of Gboyega Oyetola actually ?ceded the project and the site to the Air Force.?

He said when Adeleke?s government came on board, it set up a technical committee comprising professionals in the aviation sector from far and near, noting that the committee discovered that the existing runway, which is 1.67km did not meet the required standard.

Oriowo, the group director of Odu?a Investment Company Limited with vast experience in the aviation sector, explained that the total area of the site was approximately estimated to be 3,871,806.34square meters (387.18 Ha).

Oriowo pointed out that the team asked the Osun government to carry out the Topography Map and wind-rouse analysis of the site while also proceeding with the proposed draft design of the airport.

He said after the technical team?s visit from the Ministry of Aviation, a perimeter survey was carried out, which revealed the total size of the site at Akoda, Ede, to be 1922.111 hectares while the runway will be 5.6 km for a standard airport as envisioned by the state government.

The committee member noted that the state government paid N5,091,161.25 to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency for the Wind Rose and Daily Wind Analysis, adding that N30,000,000.00 has also been paid as a fee for the Airport Design. (The Guardian)

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