N130bn Airport Project Scandal Rocks Adeleke's Hometown as APC Demands Probe

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has publicly called for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged N130 billion airport project situated in Ede, Governor Ademola Adeleke’s hometown. The opposition party has voiced significant concerns regarding several aspects of the project, including the reported cost, the process by which contracts were awarded, and the overall transparency surrounding the initiative.

Remi Omowaiye, who serves as the Head of the Media and Publicity Committee for the Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council, spearheaded these allegations. He specifically claimed that the substantial upward review of the airport project's cost lacked proper accountability and adherence to due process. Omowaiye stated that the project, initially estimated at approximately N100 billion, inexplicably escalated to N130 billion without sufficient explanation or justification from the state government.

Further intensifying the allegations, Omowaiye asserted that the company designated to handle the airport project was not properly registered or qualified to undertake such specialized infrastructure development. This concern extended beyond the airport, as the APC also claimed that contracts for other major infrastructural developments, including critical road construction and a flyover, were awarded to companies whose registered business activities did not align with the nature of the projects they were contracted to execute. According to the opposition party, these developments collectively raise serious questions about due process and the prudent management of public funds within the state.

Omowaiye also challenged the very decision of the Adeleke administration to pursue the airport project in the first place. He argued that neighboring states already possess airports that have yet to achieve commercial viability, suggesting that embarking on a new, costly airport project in Osun State is an unnecessary endeavor. He strongly maintained that the state government should instead prioritize more pressing developmental needs that directly benefit the populace, rather than engaging in what he described as an expensive and non-essential undertaking.

The APC spokesman additionally criticized the current administration for allegedly abandoning an airport project that was initiated by the previous government, only to commence an entirely new one in Ede. In light of these grave concerns, the APC has urged anti-corruption agencies and other relevant authorities to launch a thorough investigation into the project. Their ultimate goal is to ensure accountability in the utilization of public resources and to prevent any potential mismanagement or corruption.