The governor said his administration’s efforts to have the
Ibadan Airport, Alakia, upgraded to an international airport have yielded
positive results, stressing that the upgrade would commence in the next three
weeks.
Governor Makinde made this known when he received the Chief
of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Baba Abubakar, at the Executive Chamber,
Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
The project, according to the governor, would include the
construction of a new terminal, runway and other structural features, adding
that it would be handled by experts and delivered to standard.
According to the governor, his administration had spent the
last five years turning around the state’s economy and had identified the need
for the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport as being central to its economic
expansion agenda.
He added that his government’s resolve to build
infrastructure that targets the economic expansion agenda has also seen it
investing resources on the 110 kilometres of Ibadan Circular Road, stating that
the administration would consider the Air Force’s request for land for its
post-retirement housing scheme on the Circular Road corridor.
“We have been talking to the Presidency and we got a
response from them early this week that the President has graciously approved
my request for Ibadan Airport to be upgraded,” he said.
“I will be in Abuja soon to get the documents relating to
the approval. And within three weeks, we will start the project. We will expand
the runway and build a new terminal.
“Since I came into office, this administration has focused
on education, agriculture, health and expansion of our economy.”
The governor, who appreciated the Chief of Staff for his
officers’ effort in working with sister security agencies to secure Oyo State,
urged that the cordial relationship between the Force and the people of the
state be maintained.
According to the governor, the Air Force has been a major
contributor to the maintenance of internal security in Oyo State, as its
personnel have been working closely with Operation Burst.
He equally noted that his administration has remained
committed to working with the Air Force to deliver the Air Force Base in Ajia,
Ibadan, stating that his promise of a speedy completion of the road that leads
to the base would be kept.
He also explained that the government is fixing several
roads along the Air Force Base axis that would facilitate easy movement of
personnel and equipment, noting that the Ajia-Airport Road with a spur to
Amuloko, the Amuloko-Dagbolu-Ijebu Igbo Roads are among the roads being
attended to around the axis.
Earlier in his speech, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal
Abubakar described the governor as a visionary leader, thanking him for his
support to the Air Force.
He acknowledged the governor’s focus on economic development
and enhancing security in the state, noting that the acquisition of 60 hectares
of land for the Air Force Base at Ajia and the provision of security
operational vehicles were commendable efforts of the governor.
Abubakar, however, urged the governor to expedite action on
the ongoing 10km Ajia-Airport Road to ease movement of his Force’s activities,
assuring that the Force would continue to support the state and also build on
the mutual relationship with the state.
0 comments:
Post a Comment