Osun’S Cargo Airport Project: The Facts And Issues
Osun Airport is not an ordinary airport; it is a cargo airport with Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility. My attention has been drawn to publications with headline suggesting that the Aregbesola government has left Osun Airport in ruins after spending billions of naira on the project by detractors. The question is where the billions came from when Governor Aregbesola introduced modulated salary to save Osun workers from be sacked. Where were the billions when Aregbesola introduced sukuk funds to build schools? I want to unequivocally state that this report is completely false and none of the media outfits published it. This is fake news targeted at smearing the character of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Till date, a section of media in Osun State has not told Nigerians positive developments in Osun State. When one considers the gross underreporting of developmental strides by the state and the frequent lies published as truth against the former administration, there is only one valid conclusion: Osun is indeed under a media siege.
I am worried that instead of ignorant analysts and psychotic journalists to present facts about Osun Airport, he came up with fake news, I urging Osun people and residents and other stakeholders to disregard the fake report. The pictures bellow is facts about Oaun airport project before the concession agreement.
One of the first major tasks the administration of former Governor Aregbesola contended with was how to finance the budgets in the wake of low oil price and rising threats from declining revenue. This becomes very critical when viewed against the backdrop of the tough economic conditions witnessed over the last couple of years in the country, especially in the area of declining crude oil and gas receipts and State Government’s inability to meet some of its financial obligations. The low crude oil price took its toll on Nigeria’s economy, triggering a huge decline in the country’s foreign reserves and engendering a free fall of the naira, and a host of others.
There is difference between budgetary provision and revenue released for Osun airport project which some people are ignorant of the fact. Budget allocation does not translate to actual revenue released. Nigeria had over the last couple of years, been faced with the challenges of pipeline bombings, crude oil theft and low crude oil price. These had helped in no small measure in hurting the finances of the country, leading to a significant decline in the revenue of the country and plunging the Nigerian economy into near chaos.
I am worried that ignorant analysts and psychotic journalists could not balance the budgetary allocation and revenue released to Osun airport project. They came up with fake news by collecting money from opposition politician to blackmail the former governor, I urge Osun people and residents and other stakeholders to disregard the fake report.
There is a partial media blackout in the state of Osun. There is almost no reporting on positive developmental strides taken by the government. Has the media in Osun State collapsed? This question is germane because Osun makes leading headlines for negative reasons, but when there are positive developments in Osun, the media will be silent. Since 2012 when former Governor Aregbesola started the Osun school feeding programme, a section of the media has been silent on it. When former Governor Aregbesola took Sukuk Bond, a section of the media said that Aregbesola wanted to Islamise Nigeria. Now that Sukuk projects are being commissioned, the media is silent.
Instead, the reports that make it to the media appears to be a huge smear campaign of Aregbesola’s character by paid ‘bloggers’, who use smear headlines like ‘Osun Pensioners IDP Camp’, ‘Islamising Osun’, ‘Osun Debt’, and others to smear the character of the former Governor. A section of Osun media is curiously silent on metres of roads constructed across various local government areas of the state and the East-West bypass in Osogbo.
In recent years, mega projects in Nigeria have been beset by cost overruns and lengthy delays. The system for financing the airport capital development necessary to relieve that strain is crumbling.
Osun State Government was not part of the partnership agreement between All Works of Life Development Organisation (AWOL International Limited) and Turkish Biray Group. I want to clarify that Osun State Government signed a concession agreement with AWOL.The partnership agreement between All Works of Life Development Organisation (AWOL International Limited) and Turkish Biray Group for the completion of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (M. K. O) Abiola International Airport at Ido-Osun under a build, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangement failed and could not pass Turkish concessions law on privatization and hence funds were not released by Exim Bank of Turkey for the project. AWOL violated the terms of the agreement and Osun State Government got a court order to terminate the agreement which makes it unfeasible for AWOL to continue with the project. The problem about Osun Airport Concession is between AWOL and Turkish Biray Group. Osun State Government is only implementing the concession agreement.
Osun State Government terminated the concession agreement it signed with a concessionaire, All Works of Life (AWOL) International Limited for the completion of MKO Abiola International Airport in October, 2017 citing breach of contract agreement. The company was in fundamental breach of terms of the agreement mutually signed with the State Government and hence the Concession Agreement was legally terminated in consonance with the stipulation of the contract. The letter of termination was dated 5th March, 2018. The action of Awol International Limited is constituting a security risk to the project and has the potential of occasioning a huge economic loss to the state because Osun State followed due and legal process to terminate the agreement.
One of the breaches of the contract was the non compliance with the agreement which the Chairman of AWOL International Limited, Ambassador Nurudeený James Ogunlade signed that the company would shoulder 100 per cent funding of the project. The company chief said the project will begin on November 9, 2017 while the first phase will be completed within eight months. Due to the non-compliance with agreement, the contract was terminated; the project has depreciated from the original state which it was when government handed it over to the concessionaire. The project was a development agreement.
Former Governor Aregbesola is a man of great knowledge and expertise. I am ready to enter into a public debate on this matter. Aregbesola’s reputation and his work speak for him. I have comment on this. Additionally, I am making this matter a matter of public debate. It’s disgraceful to be exposing what technocrats and experts are making of Osun Airport. “It’s rather unbecoming and disgraceful to continue along this line.
The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Osun Airport, is 21st century design facility. On request of the State Government, if the Federal Government fulfill its pledged support for the project, and the facility will become a national hangar. However, a nice and large hangar does not necessarily mean that the technical knowledge and man power will be available to run the facility and provide high-quality maintenance services. In order to better serve several airlines in Nigeria, Osun airport aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul facilities design is in good location. All facilities will provide light airframe maintenance for both narrow body and wide body aircraft. Osun Airport facility covers nearly 2.7 million square feet (about 250,000 square meters or the size of 47 football fields). It was specifically designed to provide a smooth flow of work and material. Airframe maintenance work is performed in one area, aircraft engine maintenance work in another, and component maintenance in yet another. Osun Technical Operation hangar design features state-of-the-art design, and is devoted to specific responsibilities for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of your fleet.
Inwalomhe Donald writes from Osogbo, inwalomhe.donald@yahoo.com
