Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has said that his administration discontinued with the current MKO Abiola International Airport, Ido-Osun, and relocated it to his hometown, Ede, because the old site is unsuitable for a full fledged airport.
Justifying Adeleke’s government’s decision to move the airport to 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 aviation sector, explained that the total area of the site was approximately estimated to be 3,871,806.34square meters
(387.18 Ha).
He said, “The existing runway which is 1.67km did not meet the required standard. The minimum runway for a standard airport is 4.8km. The runway length required for class 4E Aircraft is 3600 x 45m and additional minimum distance of 750 meters on both approaches for Runway End Safety Area/Clearway for instrument runway is 5,100m against the available dimension of 3,250m.
“Citing the runway at this site (Old Aerodrome Site) therefore, will require relocation of Adeleke Secondary School and also the displacement of some settlements at the other end of the site. The existing culvert of 65 metres transversely located at different sections of the running route and open/fabricated drainage already constructed are not ideal for an Airport. The required length of culvert across the runway should be 150m against 65m to cover both runway width and its strip.
“The uncompleted Terminal Building, Control Tower Building and Fire and Rescue
buildings, are wrongly located with reference to the runway; Access to the Airport is limited to only Osogbo – Ede Road.
“The above reasons were cited as making the old site unsuitable for a full fledged airport. It will still serve as training school for the air force based on the MOU between the State and the Air Force.”
He further revealed that the team then proceeded to meet aviation agencies in Abuja and that the team of experts drawn from the relevant aviation conglomerates were in the state between 15th and 16th May, 2024 to carry out on-the-spot assessment of the proposed sites in the state.
“Following the visit, the team recommended the site located at Akoda for the citing of the proposed Airport as against the Free Trade Zone. Consequently, the State Government was implored to proceed with the soil testing of the site as well as initiate the process of conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment by the Ministry of Environment and relevant Agencies.
Oriowo pointed out that the team asked Osun government to carry out the Topography Map and Wind-Rose
Analysis of the site while also proceeding with proposed draft design of the Airport.
He said after the technical team’s visit from the ministry of Aviation, perimeter survey has been carried out which revealed the total size of the site at Akoda, Ede to
be 1922.111 hectares while the runway will be 5.6km for a standard Airport as envisioned by the state government.
The committee member further noted that the state government has paid the sum of Five Million, Ninety-One Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty-One Naira, Twenty-Five Kobo (N5,091,161.25) to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency for the Wind Rose and Daily Wind Analysis, adding that the sum of Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000.00), has also been paid as fee
for the airport design.
